Brother's Loyalty: Battle for Evershade Valley
by Shana Hager
Summary: In 2001, Luigi took on ghosts armed with only a flashlight, his wits and a ghost vacuum to save his big bro. Twelve years later, he is called back into action when his eccentric mentor is thrown into danger. Little does he know that he's been caught in the crosshairs of an old foe! Rated T for action violence, peril, language, alcohol use, themes and mild blood.
1. Escape

_**October 2011**_

** While relaxing in his hotel suite, he stared intently at the man in the photo—the one person who'd gotten him through this ordeal. Thinking of **_**him**_** was the only thing that kept him going—**_**he **_**was that special someone on the outside who he knew he'd see again. Ten years. He'd been held captive in that godforsaken painting for a full decade, all thanks to that man in the photo, the man in green with that vacuum on his back! He'd ruled firmly but justly over Boo Woods for 46 years, and life was wonderful, happy and carefree until that plumber showed up! The old geezer who'd lived in those woods a few years before he assumed the throne gave that plumber that stupid housecleaning device and encouraged him to SHWEERRPP-SHLOOOORP-WHOOORPP-SHLEEEOOORG his brethren away before doing the same to him! He was even denied the chance to get his tasty revenge against the one who frequently trespassed on his dominion!**

** "You green b—d!" he hissed as he tossed the photo aside, helping himself to the meal he'd ordered from room service. "You, your geezer friend and your brother think you're everything? Well, we'll see who gets the last laugh!"**

** In this past decade, the King hadn't let go of the rage. Luigi had taken everything from him—his pride, his dignity and his self-respect. He'd humiliated him—he was practically scared stiff of ghosts and Boos, and yet he'd waved that Poltergust in his face and humiliated him all the same! Even after he'd beaten the [bleep] out of that pesky plumber, he wound up unceremoniously sucked into that vacuum and then put on display in that geezer's gallery.**

** But he'd escaped. Just days ago, he'd tricked that old scientist into making a blunder which gave him his ticket to sweet freedom. As he began rebuilding his empire, his loyal subjects volunteered to avenge this injustice against him, but this was a score he needed to settle and savor alone. To prepare, he'd outfitted his crown with a new gem and spent hours brushing up on his fearsome powers—the powers which allowed him to become not only the King of all Boos but also the Master of Illusions. Give it a year—or two or three or more—and he'd be ready to make the lot of them pay. The plumber, his brother and the scientist—they'd beg him for the sweet release of a quick death by the time he was through with them, and everyone they'd ever known and loved would pay the price, too!**

** "Luigi—you're gonna rue the day you crossed me!" King Boo ominously vowed as he smirked at the photo of his sworn nemesis.**

** He threw back his head and let out a bone-chilling cackle which echoed into the night.**

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	2. Professor in Peril

_**March 2013**_

A swarm of bats flew overhead, their fluttering wings sounding a chorus through the otherwise peaceful night in Evershade Valley. This locale was home to a lonely-looking abode, an abandoned greenhouse, a factory surrounded by an arid desert, a frozen mining area and a museum perched in the middle of a gaping ravine. But the oddest aspect of Evershade Valley was the purple, crescent-shaped jewel hanging in the sky. This jewel was known as the Dark Moon, and it was the reason why the valley was inhabitable in the first place.

Inside the lonely house, a small, bespectacled old man sat in a modest-sized laboratory, tinkering away at one of his inventions. So absorbed was he in his work that he didn't notice the small, green ghost sneaking up on him, a mischievous look in their eye. Only when the ghost was hovering over his shoulder did the man sense their presence.

Professor Elvin Gadd turned—and smiled. The ghost smiled back.

"Are you trying to jump-scare me again?" asked Gadd.

The ghost laughed in response.

More of the green ghosts bustled around Gadd's lab, reading books, manuals and notes, carrying objects here and there and sweeping and mopping the floors. The elderly researcher had discovered that these ghosts were more than ready to help him the second he arrived in Evershade Valley. Two years after his arrival, he'd discovered that the Dark Moon was what made the ghosts so hospitable. There was also something else weighing on his mind at the moment, though he couldn't figure out what…

Music played from the lab's stereo as Gadd continued to work and his ethereal helpers went about their own business—completely tuned out to what was going on outside.

And outside, trouble was brewing.

** Laughing gleefully, King Boo floated toward the Dark Moon. It was so easy to track the good professor down, knowing that he was always on the lookout for new discoveries. And the only thing keeping him from being the resident ghosts' punching bag was literally right in front of him. The cherry atop this luscious sundae? With Elvin Gadd in distress, he'd have no choice but to reach out to Luigi, the only person with the know-how to deal with this sort of thing. Truly, there was never a death trap simpler to arrange. Also, with Luigi distracted, King Boo could take care of more **_**personal**_** matters.**

** "All right, then," said King Boo, tapping his bejeweled crown. "Let's see what this baby can **_**really**_** do!"**

** King Boo summoned all of his power, the gem on his crown beginning to glow and electric sparks writhing around it. Then, with a maniacal cackle, he reared forward, sending a bolt of his magic at the Dark Moon. It was a direct hit, the orb shuddering a few seconds before it exploded into six fragments which drifted earthward like comets.**

** Feeling immensely proud of himself, King Boo turned around and flew away as purple fog descended upon Evershade Valley, looking for an ideal spot where he could safely view the fireworks.**

Back in Gadd's lab, the green ghosts stopped cold in their tracks, the pupils of their eyes shrinking until there was only white. Then—they went berserk!

Ripping pages out of books and notebooks, smashing everything in sight, throwing any projectile they could get their hands on. The noise arrested Gadd's attention, and he stared in horror as the ghosts commenced to tear his lab apart. He didn't sit there and gawk for long, however—when the projectiles started coming his way, he leaped out of his seat and made a dash for the exit, sprinting to his nearby bunker and slamming the door behind him.

"What in God's name?" he panted, struggling to compose himself.

As soon as he could think clearly, Gadd strode over to the bunker's large console and hopped into the swivel chair before it, reaching out to pick up a framed photo of an acquaintance—no, a close friend—he'd made twelve years prior. In that photo stood a tall, mustachioed young man in green, one of Gadd's earlier inventions on his back, a hand on his hip and a proud smile on his face. When the elderly professor faced a crisis back in 2001, this man in green had _really_ come through for him.

Gadd knew that his old friend could help now.

Purposefully, Gadd pressed a few buttons on the console, hoping that Luigi was still awake…

**…**

Atop a grassy hill stood a truly elegant abode, painted snow-white with bright green accents. This mansion gave off the appearance of a layer cake, the frosting and icing smeared on thick. And indeed, the mansion shared something in common with a cake—it was a well-deserved reward.

The mansion was three stories high and sported three rooftop arches, the centermost arch embellished with a bold green "L". Encircling the place was a lively garden, with a fountain placed smack in the middle. The mansion's owner made sure to keep the garden and the property well-maintained, and he also made sure to pay the obligatory property tax twice a year.

Speaking of the mansion's owner…

…he was fast asleep on his La-Z-Boy recliner in the living room, the TV on mute. On a shelf to his left rested a vacuum-backpack hybrid of sorts, painted fire-engine red, the straps a bit worn but otherwise looking as good as new. Taped to the wall beside this contraption was a map, faded with age but still quite legible. These two oddities were keepsakes in their own right, serving to remind the slumbering homeowner of the most important adventure of his life. It was an adventure he'd never forget—even after twelve years.

The man in green stirred awake at a strange noise. Bright blue eyes blinked open, a tad cloudy from sleep, and a gloved hand adjusted the green cap which had fallen over his face.

"Wha…?" he drowsily uttered.

The TV's image had gone to static.

Luigi Mario muttered something and slid off his La-Z-Boy, crossing the room to turn the TV off. But just as his index finger touched the "power" button—

"Luigi!" exclaimed the image of Professor Elvin Gadd.

"Holy [bleep]!" Luigi was startled clean off his feet, scuttling back against the La-Z-Boy. Clutching his heaving chest, he uttered, "Professor?"

"Thank God! I didn't know if the signal would go through!" laughed the professor. "Listen—I need your help, youngster! It's an emergency!"

Luigi rubbed the sleep from his eyes. "What kind of emergency?" he asked.

"The ghosts have gone hostile!" Gadd hastily explained.

"Wha—ghosts?" Luigi repeated, still half-asleep.

"Yeah! One moment they were helping me out, and the next—my word, what are you doing on the floor? Did I wake you?"

"Obviously," replied Luigi.

"Oh, my God—I am _so_ sorry!" Gadd apologized. "It's just—I didn't know who else to call!"

"That's okay, Professor," Luigi assured him. "Now—_what_ ghosts are you talking about?"

"I'll explain everything when you get here," said Gadd. "Don't move—I'm preparing the Pixelshifter!"

"The—what?!"

"New invention." Gadd pressed a few more buttons on his console. "All right—here we go!"

Luigi's TV screen lit up in a bright green glow. Apprehensively, the plumber backed up a step.

"Hey! Wait a minute! I don't want…" He started to say before breaking into a full-on retreat.

Unfortunately, he'd only run two paces before he was immobilized, and he felt himself disassemble into tiny pieces and float into the air. The last thing he remembered was that he was strangely falling _into_ his TV screen…

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	3. Welcome to the Bunker

Professor Gadd sat in his swivel chair and watched as a stream of pixels spat out from a camera across from him. These pixels assembled themselves into Luigi, who landed hard on his butt. The man in green looked around at the consoles, monitors and beeping machinery, reorienting himself from his trip through cyberspace, and then sighed heavily in resignation before getting to his feet.

"Greetings, Luigi!" Gadd said heartily. "I knew our paths would cross again."

Luigi smiled. "It's good to see you again, Professor," he said.

The two of them shook hands, and then Gadd studied Luigi.

"You seem a bit tense," he observed. "Relax—we're perfectly safe here in this impregnable Bunker."

"Well—er—that's good news," Luigi said nervously.

Gadd laughed. "I just need to ask—what have you been up to, lately?"

Luigi beamed. "I'm glad you asked," he replied. "Nintendo is helping me celebrate 30 years of service in the video game consciousness. They're calling 2013—the Year of Me! Or rather—the Year of Luigi."

"My, that's good news," said Gadd. "However, I imagine that you've also been off adventuring with that daredevil brother of yours."

"And how," replied Luigi. "That f—ing turtle makes off with Peach every Tuesday or Friday—sometimes both. That's how we came up with the name Taken Tuesday. We've also come up with a cool name for the Friday snatchings, but—it's not safe for work. I mean, it's kinda fun all the same, but a twisted sort of fun. One time, I got to cross-dress as Peach to fool that reptile, and we all had a good laugh for days. Of course, as always—Mario gets most of the credit when all is said and done, but I'm used to it. I find lots of creative outlets for that. And it's not like I want a 21-gun salute every time I walk across the street. Speaking of which…"

Luigi whipped out his Samsung Galaxy smartphone and sent Mario a quick text-message, explaining the situation and letting him know that he was okay—for now.

When he was finished, Luigi put away his smartphone and absentmindedly slid his fingers beneath his overall straps. "How about you, Professor? What have _you_ been up to since the last time we talked?"

"Me?" Gadd chuckled. "Oh, I've just been continuing my research on paranormal happenings and whatnot. In fact, after out last adventure, I became somewhat of an authority in the field!"

Luigi nodded. "I read a few of your journals, and I must say, I'm envious over how much you've put into recording and analyzing your findings."

Gadd blushed.

"Now—what exactly is going on here?" Luigi asked, getting to the task at hand.

"Allow me to fill you in on our ghostly predicament," said Gadd. "Do you see that on the screen behind you? That's the Dark Moon. It's a mysterious celestial body that has a pacifying effect on all of the ghosts in Evershade Valley. When I heard about it, I jumped at the rare chance to study ghosts in a peaceful environment."

"Hm. That's smart," mused Luigi.

"It was incredible, my boy!" Gadd went on. "I was doing some of the best research of my long and storied career!" His face fell. "That is—until something snapped inside the ghosts and they suddenly turned hostile! It got so bad that I had to escape rom the Gloomy Manor and hide here, where the ghosts can't find me."

"Thank God you're okay," said Luigi.

"Of course, I'm not one to sit around and twiddle my thumbs," said Gadd. "I wanted to know why the ghosts freaked out. So—I settled in and did some research to figure out what had happened."

"And let me guess—it had something to do with this—Dark Moon?" guessed Luigi.

"Indeed! I discovered that the Dark Moon had vanished from the sky! And on top of that, the whole of Evershade Valley had become enveloped in an eerie fog. It's quite the mess, Luigi. And if we don't do something about it, then the ghosts might leave this valley and terrorize the world beyond!"

Luigi couldn't help but shudder.

"Worse still, my research will go to waste! We can't let that happen, my boy!"

"Frankly—I think that a bunch of aggressive ghosts is worse than a hiccup in your research," said Luigi. "No offense."

"None taken. Now, I've got some good news and some bad news. Which do you want to hear first?"

"It doesn't matter," replied Luigi.

"Wait here." Gadd swiveled around, and then swiveled back holding a violet shard which was surrounded by an unearthly glow. "The good news is that I found a fragment of the Dark Moon nearby!"

Luigi stared intently at the fragment. "And the bad news?"

"Well—I found a fragment of the Dark Moon nearby, meaning the thing's broken. And this Dark Moon piece seems to be corrupted by some sort of energy…"

"Whoa…" breathed Luigi.

"I reckon it's a disruptive energy that suppresses the Dark Moon's ability to pacify ghosts!" postulated Gadd. "But lucky for us, I've got inventions for all kinds of situations!"

Luigi jumped slightly as a device resembling a turntable emerged from the ground. Gadd placed the Dark Moon piece onto the device, and then multiple arms sprung from it to wipe it clean. The elderly researcher merrily clapped his hands as the device worked its magic. Luigi just gawked.

Outside the Bunker, some of the purple fog melted to nothing, revealing the lonely house Gadd was in earlier.

Meanwhile, Gadd turned to his console and punched a few buttons.

"I've done it, Luigi!" he cried. "The Dark Moon piece seems to have regained its original power! Did you hear the whooshing noise outside? Let me check my instruments…"

He punched a few more buttons, and then…

"Good God! All the fog around this Bunker—is gone! Let's take a look at a map of Evershade Valley."

Gadd pressed another button, causing a fourth monitor to drop down, displaying the map. A digital representation of the lonely house appeared, flashing green.

"Luigi, do you know what this means?" asked Gadd.

"Well…"

"We should be able to reach the Gloomy Manor now! But more importantly, it means that restoring the Dark Moon will solve all our problems! If we find all the Dark Moon pieces, the fog in the valley will vanish, and the ghosts will return to normal. But until then, all those ghosts will need to be controlled."

Luigi understood instantly. "You want me to go in there and retrieve the other Dark Moon pieces," he said. It wasn't a question.

"Why—you're the best ghost wrangler I know!" Gadd said encouragingly. "Coincidentally, you're also the only ghost wrangler I know. So, what do you say, youngster? Will you help me capture the ghosts and restore the Dark Moon?"

"Professor," said Luigi, "you know that I'd help you with anything, but—you didn't give me time to grab the you-know-what. Besides, I doubt it's in working condition now. I've done regular maintenance on it, but it hasn't seen any action in twelve years."

"Don't worry about it," Gadd said casually. "I just so happen to have left a _present_ for you somewhere in the Gloomy Manor."

"A present?" Luigi arched an eyebrow. "May I inquire as to the occasion?"

"Any day is a good day to equip you with the latest ghost-hunting gear," smiled Gadd.

Luigi heaved a sigh.

"Oh, c'mon, Luigi—it's just a few harmless ghosts. Well—a few _hundred_ ghosts. And they're not exactly harmless."

Luigi rolled his eyes. "_That_ makes me feel better."

"However, with my brains and your—um—your…"

"Ghost-wrangling skills?" finished Luigi.

"Yeah, let's just go with that," said Gadd.

"Nice to know you have so much faith in me," said Luigi.

"Aw, Luigi—I know you can do it!" said Gadd. "You just need the proper accessories to help you. As I said before, your _present_ is somewhere in the Gloomy Manor. And now that I've cleared that d—n fog from around the place, I'm sending you in after it!"

"Okeydokey," Luigi said, resigned.

Gadd then pulled out a small device similar to the Nintendo 3DS handheld console and gave it to Luigi. "Look familiar?"

"Yeah," replied Luigi. "It's like the Game Boy Horror—but sleeker and more advanced."

"Technology has really evolved since the days of the Game Boy Horror, and I took full advantage," said Gadd. "This customized DS has an interactive map of the Gloomy Manor on it. It'll also allow me to communicate with you while you're exploring."

"Interesting," said Luigi, tucking the DS into his pocket.

"And it's pretty dark in there, so you'll want this, too," said Gadd, tossing Luigi a flashlight.

"Thanks," said Luigi.

"You're welcome," smiled Gadd. "Before you go, however, let's test the DS!"

Gadd pressed a button, and Luigi heard a muffled ringtone coming from his pocket. He pulled out the DS and opened it.

"All righty—now check your map. I'm marking an important location there."

Luigi watched as an orange exclamation point materialized at an area on the map.

"That's the garage. I think that's where I left your _present_," said Gadd.

Luigi closed the DS and slipped it back into his pocket.

"Are you ready, Luigi?" asked Gadd.

"As ready as I'll ever be, I guess," replied Luigi.

"Excellent!" trilled Gadd. "It'll be just like old times!"

"Yeah. Just like old times," echoed Luigi. "It was unnerving then, too."

"All righty," said Gadd. "I'll just zap you to the Gloomy Manor with my new and largely untested Pixelator! Let's hope all of the pixels make it this time." He chuckled.

"Should I be worried?"

"Not too much," replied Gadd.

"Hold that thought for a moment," said Luigi. "Does this Bunker have a restroom? I gotta take a [bleep]."

"Of course. Just down the hall," replied Gadd.

One bathroom break later, Luigi was ready to go. It occurred to him that he could've used said bathroom break to make a run for it. But for some reason, he decided that he was going to do this. Because Professor Gadd _needed_ him and personally asked him to help. Not a lot of people did that in the Mushroom Kingdom—their first choice was always Mario.

_Besides, I owe him_, he thought. _I wouldn't have been able to save Mario if it weren't for him._

Luigi took a deep breath to settle the butterflies in his stomach. "Let's-a go!" he said to the professor.

Gadd smiled. "Hold onto your mustache!" he said before activating the Pixelator.

Luigi tensed and grabbed onto his hat as that singular disassembling sensation swept over him. Before he felt himself being pulled into the centermost monitor, he caught a glimpse of Professor Gadd waving goodbye.

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	4. A-1: Poltergust 5000

Rain began to fall, splashing onto the roof of the lonely house, the aptly-named Gloomy Manor. Bare, gnarled trees surrounded it, and only a white picket fence controlled who entered and who left. Thunder clapped, and lightning lit up the cloudy sky as a camera located in the yard came to life, dropping Luigi off at his destination—literally.

_Splash!_ Luigi landed hard in a puddle, still getting used to transportation via pixels. Cold thrills bolted through him as he stood to his feet and dried himself off as best as he could. When he raised his head and caught sight of the Gloomy Manor, his thoughts went right back to the trap the Boos had lured him and Mario into. The two mansions looked quite similar, indeed.

Time, unfortunately, didn't heal all wounds, and this was one of them. For the life of him, Luigi couldn't stop thinking about what would've happened to Mario had he not been quick enough or brave enough. Had he turned tail in the middle of the venture, run home and left his bro to fend for himself. Had he not met Professor Gadd in the first place and had that first ghost gotten his hands on him. The echo of the King's evil laughter lingered in his mind, a sound which assaulted him late at night. Even after twelve years, he still had nightmares, and he knew without question that Mario still suffered from them, too. Both brothers were still seeing their therapists on a regular basis, and when all else failed, they confided to each other, but something like the mansion would never go away. It would stay behind as an old wound which could rip back open at the slightest agitation.

Luigi's breath came fast, but he soon used a breathing technique to bring it back under control. He flinched at another boom of thunder and gripped his flashlight so tightly his knuckles were white. "Oh, boy," he muttered. "This is gonna be fun…"

He set off down the walkway toward the Gloomy Manor, and an iron gate creaked open to allow him passage. Just as he stepped into the garden, the gate slammed shut, making him jump.

"Keep it together," he murmured to himself. "You can do this."

His DS rang.

"Yello?" he answered.

"Can you hear me, youngster?" asked Gadd.

"Loud and clear," replied Luigi.

"Good," Gadd sighed in relief. "I was worried that the DS's battery died."

"Does it—come with a charger?" asked Luigi.

"It does—but it's here in the Bunker," replied Gadd. "I'm gonna recall you here periodically so you can not only charge it, but also rest up and tend to the injuries you probably will sustain."

"Er—thanks for telling me, I guess," said Luigi. "Is that all? The sooner I'm equipped, the better."

Gadd studied Luigi through the monitor. "You look a little nervous, son," he said. "Try to loosen up a bit."

_Easy for you to say. You're not the one having flashbacks to the night you had to endure fear incarnate to save your brother!_

"Wait—are you still—thinking about it?" Gadd's voice had softened.

"Yes," Luigi replied. "I'll never forget the sight of my brother, beaten and trapped within a portrait, for as long as I live. And this Gloomy Manor—it kind of looks like that mansion."

"It's gonna be okay, Luigi," said Gadd. "It's gonna be okay. I'll be with you every step of the way."

"Oh, Professor…"

"Just breathe, youngster. Breathe…"

Luigi did so, finding himself calming down.

"You can always talk to me about things like this, all righty?"

"Okeydokey."

"I'll check back with you soon. Good luck."

"Okay. _Ciao_." Luigi hung up and walked fairly fast up the steps to the manor's front porch.

Hearing a noise, the man in green stepped to the leftmost window and peeked through it. There, he saw a green ghost in an old-fashioned car, gleefully honking on the horn. Another ghost flew into the car's trunk and rummaged around in its hood before popping out, briefly startling the other ghost and holding up a green object. Laughing, the two ghosts exited the car and floated off.

_At least I know where the garage is._

Luigi hurried to the front door and tried the knob. Surprise, surprise—it was locked.

"Just my luck," Luigi said under his breath.

He knocked on the door. "Hello?" he called.

A squeaking noise behind him made him turn.

And there stood a mouse, regarding him curiously, their tail wrapped around a key. Once Luigi got over his shock, he chased after the mouse. His years of playing sports and being an overall athletic individual paid off, as he soon caught up to the little rodent and plucked the key from their tail.

"Got it!" he exclaimed in triumph.

He trotted back up the stairs and inserted the key into the lock, jumping as the key dissolved. With trepidation, he pushed open the door and cautiously ventured inside.

"Hello?" he called out, scanning the area with his flashlight.

The door slammed behind him, making him jump at least a foot into the air.

Luigi breathed deeply to compose himself and headed to the door on his left, which opened into the garage. Something told him to check under the car's hood, so that's exactly what he did.

And there was his present, waiting for him. Sleek and fire-engine red like the last one, with adjustable leather straps and a wide nozzle. However, this one had a more streamlined shape and an ergonomic grip.

Laughing heartily, Luigi removed the Poltergust from beneath the hood and slid it onto his back, making a few quick adjustments to the shoulder straps. Then, he took the nozzle in his right hand and struck a cool pose.

"I did it!" he cried, doing a little victory dance.

Unfortunately, he accidentally bumped into the car, its hood slamming shut with a loud rumble. The sound caused some debris to crash down, obstructing the exit.

"D—mit," he muttered.

The DS rang again, and Luigi answered it. "Yello?"

"Ah, you've found it!" gushed Gadd. "Good work, Luigi! You're now equipped with the new and improved Poltergust 5000!"

"I'm loving it already," said Luigi. "I feel like you designed it with yours truly in mind."

"In fact, I did," said Gadd. "After our first adventure, I let you keep the 3000 model because—it looked _just right_ on you. But as the years went by, I said to myself, 'Gadd—you need to make Luigi a better model so he could better hold his own against a ghost.' Thus—the 5000 model was born. How about you try her out on some of the junk in that room? Go on—give her a whirl!"

"Okeydokey. _Ciao_."

Humming a made-up tune to himself, Luigi proceeded to get the feel of his new ghost vacuum, sucking up clumps of dirt and debris and vacuuming away sheets to unveil chests stuffed with gold and dollar bills. One such chest contained a key, which was, as always, more valuable than gold. He also vacuumed up coins perched on the rafters and made sure to search every nook and cranny. Because you'd never know.

The DS chimed yet again.

"Yello?"

"How's the Poltergust 5000 running so far, Luigi?" asked Gadd. "Not too shabby, eh?"

"Not at all, Professor. Not at all."

"Just wait till you catch some ghosts with her. There should be a few nearby."

"Yeah. Two were in here earlier while I was still locked out of the manor."

"All righty—I'll leave you to it."

"_Ciao_."

He finished vacuuming up the garage until it was practically spotless. Force of habit—Luigi had always been a neat freak, and that was unlikely to change. Then, he exited the garage and turned the vacuum on the chandelier, sending gold and dollar bills raining down, before checking the drawers and vases for anything important. He pulled down a sheet to reveal another door, but then he was drawn back to the front yard. There were more piles of junk to vacuum, along with cobwebs, and he found lots of treasure, especially gold bars, in the various vases and cracks and crevices.

In a vase near the stairs, however, he found a golden bone. He marveled at it for a few seconds before the DS ringtone snapped him out of it.

"Yello?"

"Hmm—you seem to have found something very special there," said Gadd.

"Yeah, you think?" Luigi rolled his eyes.

"I've heard that your chances of finding one of those is better if you have a lot of treasure," explained Gadd.

"Do you know what this bone does?" asked Luigi.

"Not exactly—but I get the feeling that bone will come in handy when you need it most!"

"I'll keep that in mind," said Luigi. "_Ciao_."

He finished vacuuming the front yard and headed back inside, where he explored a mudroom. Something about the carpet seemed—off—so he used the vacuum's blow function to roll it up, revealing some sort of switch. Luigi stood on the switch, causing all sorts of treasure to fly into the room. After vacuuming it up, along with a few coats, he glanced up and noticed another key sitting atop the ceiling fan. He used his vacuum to spin the fan around until the key was jostled off, catching it as it hit the floor.

"Oh, yeah!" he cheered. Now, he could proceed further into the Gloomy Manor.

The first key gave Luigi access to a guard hall. As soon as he stepped inside, however, he caught sight of two green ghosts playing catch with the green object he saw earlier. He gasped and flattened himself against the door, but when they saw him, they surprisingly didn't want a fight and retreated into the next room.

"What in the Inferno is that thing?" he wondered as he set off after the two ghosts.

Suits of armor lined the guard hall's walls, slicing at Luigi with their swords whenever he passed. His flight down the hall was short but perilous, as he had to dodge swords swishing past his head. Several of them managed to cut him, but the wounds weren't serious. Besides, he had more important things on his mind.

At the end of the guard hall, Luigi unlocked the door into a foyer. At once, he saw the two green ghosts—Greenies, he decided to call them—smirking triumphantly as they pointed out the green object on top of the chandelier. They laughed at each other as if this was the punchline of a funny joke, and then beat a hasty retreat when they saw Luigi.

_Whatever that green thing is—I gotta get it down from there…_

An incoming call from Gadd broke his train of thought.

"Yello?"

"Luigi, do you see that green circular panel on the door to your right?" asked Gadd.

Luigi frowned lightly as he studied the panel in question. "Yeah—what about it?"

"It unlocks the door. All you need to do is flash it with the—good God! The Poltergust 5000 is missing the Strobulb!"

"Strobulb?" repeated Luigi.

"You won't be able to open that door without it," Gadd explained. "Those pesky ghosts must've hidden it somewhere. It looks like a little green lightbulb."

_Eureka!_ Luigi thought. "I know exactly what you're talking about," he said. "Leave it to me."

Gadd smiled proudly at Luigi. "Great. Thanks," he said.

"_Ciao_."

Luigi studied the chandelier until he noticed the fan-like structure above it. Then, he hurried up the stairs and vacuumed the structure, causing the blades to spin around, which lowered the chandelier to ground level. Then, he ran back downstairs to grab the Strobulb before the chandelier could re-ascend. It took a few tries, but Luigi eventually succeeded.

"All right!" he cheered, screwing the Strobulb onto the Poltergust's apparatus.

Instantly, the Strobulb lit up, and Luigi slid the vacuum back on, doing another victory dance. He guessed that the red button on his flashlight activated the Strobulb, so he pushed it down before releasing it, causing bright white light to flash in his face. Dazed for a few seconds, Luigi stumbled around.

He answered an incoming call on the DS. "Yello?"

"Whoa there, youngster! Don't flash yourself with that!" cautioned Gadd. "The Strobulb isn't a toy—it's a powerful tool!"

"Yeah—sorry about that."

"That's quite all right, Luigi. Remember, the Strobulb can activate any of my inventions that feature green circular panels."

"Okay."

"And it's a great weapon against ghosts, too! Don't be afraid to use the Strobulb to stun them."

"Very well. _Ciao_."

Spotting a safe at the top of the stairs with another such panel, Luigi headed over and flashed the Strobulb at it. The safe unlocked, spilling a whole mess of treasure. Luigi vacuumed it all up before heading back downstairs and giving the panel beside the door a Strobulb flash, removing the barriers obstructing that door and allowing him entry.

The DS rang.

"Yello?"

"Just wanted to remind you that the Strobulb is the only way to defeat those ghosts," said Gadd. "Now give those paranormal dust-bunnies what for!"

"I'll try. _Ciao_."

Luigi then accessed the coatroom, where the atmosphere changed considerably. His senses were on high-alert as he searched the room for anything useful or valuable. Mysterious voices hummed alongside him as he pulled down coats and old wallpaper to reveal coins and dollar bills.

It was then that he noticed the toilet.

"Thank God," he said to himself, flipping open the lid and taking a seat.

The "toilet" turned out to be a secret passageway, flinging him into the next room.

He landed on the sink, water spraying into his face. Wiping off the water with his sleeve, he uncovered more treasure before vacuuming away the shower curtain in front of the tub, where the humming was at its loudest.

Just as he suspected, there was a Greenie, taking a shower. The Greenie and Luigi stared at each other for a few seconds, and then the former made a break for it, slamming hard into the sink before phasing through the secret passageway.

"Geez," muttered Luigi before hopping back onto the "toilet", which took him back to the coatroom.

Just as he reached the door, however, a Greenie leaped in front of him, startling him off his feet!

Pink gates slammed down over the doors and windows, leaving Luigi no choice but to fight his way out.

He dodged the Greenie's attack before steadying his breathing and taking careful aim with his flashlight. A low hum filled the room as Luigi held down the red button, waiting—waiting.

And then—

_ZZZAAPPP!_

Luigi let the Strobulb rip, freezing the Greenie with a blinding flash. Wasting no time, he turned the vacuum on full blast, pulling against the Greenie as they tried to escape. Out of the corner of his eye, Luigi saw a meter fill up and flash blue. Once it did so, Luigi pressed the red button again. The nozzle kicked back in his hands, and there was a surge of energy as the Greenie was sucked into the Poltergust.

"That's interesting," said Luigi.

He whirled as another Greenie appeared, standing his ground and getting the ghost into his sights before releasing a second Strobulb flash and going on the attack. Again, the blue meter filled, and Luigi pressed the red button, activating that surge and sending the Greenie into the vacuum.

Finally, the lights came back on and the pink gates disappeared.

Luigi pumped a fist in victory. "I did it!" he cried.

He exited the coatroom and found himself back in the foyer—where more Greenies waited for him. He exhaled, brandished the Poltergust and prepared for battle.

These Greenies were a tad tougher to catch. As he tried to capture one, their buddies would relentlessly attack him. Luckily, he could now dodge attacks from other ghosts, even while he was struggling to vacuum one. Nonetheless, he still took punches from the Greenies, and these punches were hard enough to break his concentration—and the suction.

Luigi cursed under his breath—and then he decided to try something else. He lined up two Greenies with his flashlight, stunning them both with a single Strobulb flash. Just like last time, he found steady objects, like drawers and the banister, to brace himself against for better control over the Greenies. Fifteen minutes elapsed before Luigi finally cleared the last Greenies from the room. By that time, however—it had all come back to him.

He wiped his brow when the lights came back on, standing straight and tall with total confidence, smiling at the reassuring feeling of the apparatus on his back. Nobody would hear it from him, but Luigi was aching for another solo adventure.

The DS went off.

"Yello?"

"That's the spirit, Luigi!" cheered Gadd. "Just like old times, eh?"

"Exactly," said Luigi. "I thought I'd be a little rusty after twelve years, but fortunately, that wasn't the case."

"You missed this, didn't you?"

"Well…" Luigi rubbed the back of his head. "Kinda."

"You know—I'm always hiring," said Gadd, "so if you hit a slump in your current ventures…"

"I'll think about it," said Luigi. "Okay?"

"Okay. It appears you took a few blows. I'll bring you back to the Bunker so you can rest."

"Good idea."

"See you soon," said Gadd.

"_Ciao_." Luigi twirled the DS before slipping it back into his pocket.

Then, he did a celebratory leap into the air. "Oh, yes! Ho-ho—I did it!"

Laughing, he danced about the foyer, stopping when that familiar sensation swept over him.

He flew through cyberspace before arriving back in Gadd's bunker, once again landing on his butt. The professor beamed at him as he got to his feet.

"You made it back—and with all your pixels to boot!" laughed Gadd. "Good work, Luigi—we might just make it out of this mess."

"I sure hope so," said Luigi.

"Let's see what you captured with the Poltergust 5000," said Gadd as a vent-like contraption popped up from the ground.

Luigi attached the vacuum to the contraption, sighing as the weight on his back lessened.

Once the Poltergust was emptied, Luigi detached the nozzle and shifted the apparatus from side to side. Gadd happily spun around in his chair.

"Incredible! I'll start studying these ghosts posthaste!" he announced.

"But—where does that pipe go?" asked Luigi.

"Everything you collect goes to a super-safe Vault below us," Gadd explained. "It's a good idea to visit it often to check you progress and see the results of my studies. I've got ghost descriptions, hints—even each ghost's spectral mass! Knowledge is power, after all!"

"Say that again," said Luigi.

"All righty—I'll scan the Gloomy Manor in search of paranormal signals," said Gadd. "I reckon that whoever took the other Dark Moon pieces is hiding in there."

"Okeydokey," said Luigi. "I won't disturb you, then."

"There's a lounge area with snacks and beverages if you're feeling low on fuel," said Gadd. "You'll also find ice for your bruises."

"Professor, you're a savior," sighed Luigi as he headed toward the aforementioned lounge.

**…**

** He'd lain there in his hiding spot, watching the man through a pair of binoculars as he'd cautiously made his way toward the Gloomy Manor.**

** But he'd also seen it. Sensed it. Smelled it.**

** Luigi was still thinking of King Boo. Just as King Boo was still thinking of Luigi.**

** His night just couldn't get any better.**

** "He and that geezer are still trying to figure out what happened, and yet the culprit is right under their noses!" he chortled.**

** However, Luigi had changed considerably since their confrontation back in 2001. Overall, he appeared more laid back and optimistic. There was a new attitude and confidence about him. But that was about to change. King Boo was really gonna enjoy tearing the puny plumber back down to his very foundation before taking away everything and everyone that mattered to him. The Master of Illusions would destroy Luigi, body and soul, and everyone else would be none the wiser!**

** But he couldn't sit here for long. King Boo had other things to do and little time to do them. Cackling softly to himself, he flew off, on his way to enact the next phase of his plan.**

* * *

**Please R&R.**


	5. A-2: Gear Up

Thirty minutes of rest—that was all Luigi needed. In that interval, he'd helped himself to some snacks, iced his bruises and discovered, perplexingly, that Mario hadn't answered the text he'd sent earlier. Maybe his phone was on silent. Or maybe he was just tired. Or…

Luigi shook his head. He didn't want to go there. Not now.

Gadd perked up when he saw Luigi approach. "Ready for some more action?"

"Yup," Luigi responded.

"Ah, you're a courageous lad."

"A lot of people have smirked at me and said otherwise," mused Luigi. "All my life, I've proved those people wrong."

Gadd cocked his head. "Have I mentioned that you remind me of myself at your age?" He sighed deeply. "Oh, yes—those were the days…"

"You told me you were scared of ghosts," said Luigi, "and yet you wanted to study them."

"So I could share my findings with the world and convince them that ghosts aren't that scary," Gadd said softly, "but enough of that. We need to start searching for the rest of the Dark Moon."

"Where do you propose we start?" asked Luigi.

"Fear not—I've got just the invention to answer that question!" Gadd said brightly. "I call it—the Parascope, a tip-top device that detects and measures distant paranormal signals. In fact, I just used it to scan the Gloomy Manor, and I found some strong activity in the north rooms. That's where we'll start our search."

Luigi bit his lip. "Why do I feel like this is gonna be harder than it sounds?"

"I assure you—this task is difficult but doable," Gadd said affably. "You're equipped with the mighty Poltergust 5000, after all!"

"True," said Luigi.

Gadd lowered the fourth monitor, which showed the map projection.

"There's a mechanism that controls the access to the section in question," he said. "This access mechanism is in the foyer. I'll give you instructions once you get there." He pressed a few buttons, and Luigi took out the DS to find an exclamation point marking the aforementioned location.

"All right," said Luigi. "I'm ready to go."

"Now that's what I like to hear," said Gadd, activating the Pixelator and sending Luigi on his way.

Luigi landed at the Gloomy Manor's entrance, once again on his butt. He scanned the area with his flashlight for any danger. Finding none, he adjusted his cap and hopped to his feet.

Before going to the foyer, Luigi decided to make a couple of side-stops. His first side-stop was the front yard, where he examined the purple flowers in the yard. Flashing the Strobulb at the flowers caused their petals to open up. Most of them spat out dollar bills, but one of them spat out a jewel. It was too light in color to be a Dark Moon piece, and besides, that would just be wishful thinking. However, Luigi took comfort in his find and decided to hold onto it.

The DS rang.

"Yello?"

"Doing some gemstone hunting on the side, eh?" asked Gadd.

"Why not?" shrugged Luigi.

"Can't say I blame you," said Gadd. "Those gems are one of a kind! Worth a fortune, I reckon!"

"Maybe."

"Just remember—you have a job to do."

Luigi rolled his eyes. "I haven't forgotten."

"You'll have time to look at your gems later in the Vault. Carry on, youngster."

"_Ciao_," said Luigi before continuing on his way.

His next stop was the mudroom, where he found another door with a green circular panel beside it. He unlocked the door by flashing the panel with the Strobulb, and then he stepped into the mudroom exterior.

There wasn't much in the mudroom, save for some barren trees and a doghouse. Seeing that doghouse made Luigi think of Spooky, the ghost dog he'd encountered in the first mansion. He had to distract Spooky with a bone before he even thought about trying to capture him, and the dog had whimpered a little during the act, making Luigi feel kinda bad. If there was indeed a dog around these parts, Luigi hoped they would be more docile—and cuter.

Atop one of the trees, however, was another gemstone, which Luigi wasted no time vacuuming it down from the branches.

It was time to focus back on the task at hand. Luigi headed back to the entrance and dashed down the guard hall as those knights slashed with their swords, emerging only mildly cut up. He caught his breath and then searched the foyer for the mechanism Gadd was talking about.

Soon, he came upon a set of gears surrounded by a metal box, but before he could do anything, a red, intimidating ghost arrived on the scene and yanked out the gears like they were nothing! The ghost then tossed one gear to each of their three buddies before taking the fourth one for themselves. After breaking up a disagreement between two of their friends, the ghost jerked their thumb upward, and the quartet floated off.

"I knew it," huffed Luigi. "I knew it, I knew it, I knew it."

The DS rang.

"Yello?"

"F—ing ghosts!" spat Gadd.

"Amen," said Luigi.

"Those brutes just stole the gears from that access mechanism I mentioned earlier! I'll use the Parascope to find them. Then, you can use the map on your DS to hunt them down."

"That's gonna be oodles of fun," said Luigi.

"And the look in your eye just gave me a great idea—from now on, I'm gonna call the DS—this is genius—the Dual Scream!"

"Dual Scream, huh? Can't argue with a name like that."

"Interact with the map on the Dual Scream to locate the brute ghosts in the west wing," Gadd instructed. "The map has a whole slew of features, so be sure to mess around with it later."

"Will do."

"But for now—get those gears back! Look lively!"

"_Ciao_."

Luigi headed for a door that was cracked open, only for it to abruptly close in his face. The room darkened, and he saw a Greenie flying overhead, holding a key in their hand. The Greenie laughed and taunted Luigi with the key before disappearing into the guard hall.

The man in green took off after them.

While evading those suits of armor, Luigi vacuumed up some mice attempting to nip at him. Most of the time, however, he ignored them, pursuing the Greenie into the manor's entrance. He found them swinging on the chandelier and wasted no time stunning them, hanging on for a brief ride as the Greenie dragged him around. Once Luigi got a better grip on the vacuum, along with some better leverage, capturing the Greenie was a cinch.

"Oh, yeah!" cheered Luigi as he scooped up the key.

Back he went to the foyer, where he unlocked the door to the common hall. After vacuuming up some coins under the carpet, he entered a lab—Professor Gadd's lab! Machines beeped around him, and there was a blackboard which looked jarringly out of place in the midst of such technology. However, Luigi sensed that he wasn't alone and used the vacuum to twirl the blackboard around—

…whereupon a Greenie was flung out of it, briefly dazed, before they snapped out of it and grinned at Luigi.

This Greenie was joined by another Greenie, and the two of them floated leisurely around the green-clad ghost-hunter, who studied them, Poltergust at the ready, waiting for an opening. He breathed in, charged the Strobulb—and as he exhaled, he released the Strobulb on the first Greenie he saw!

The battle was on, Luigi wrestling the Greenie into the vacuum while being on the lookout for the other Greenie's attacks. After subduing the second Greenie, Luigi heard a low growl and whirled to see one of the red ghosts glowering at him. This ghost was more aggressive and engaged Luigi right away, attacking with straight punches and clapping attacks. When Luigi managed to stun them, he discovered that they had more HP than the Greenies, and that he had to activate a surge twice before they were taken care of. Leaning against the wall and gasping for breath, he decided to call the red ghosts—Slammers.

On the other side of the room lay the first gear, and Luigi scooped it up with a triumphant laugh. One down, three more to go.

After stunning a trio of golden mice, which yielded him some extra treasure, Luigi consulted his map and made his way to a secret pocket. This secret pocket was stuffed with all sorts of treasure, and at the very back of the room was a key. Through a crack in the wall, Luigi glimpsed two sky blue, slim ghosts in a studio, one of them doing the posing while the other one did the painting. He drew a shuddering breath and shook away the incoming flashbacks of Vincent Van Gore.

Some much-needed levity arose once Luigi noticed how the "model" enjoyed aggravating the artist.

Luigi walked out of the secret pocket, stifling a chuckle.

The key he'd acquired didn't unlock the door beside the secret pocket, so Luigi went back into the foyer, hoping that the key would unlock one of the rooms upstairs.

Halfway up the staircase, however, the stairs dropped out from under him, sending him sliding back down and leaving behind mild rub burns. He scrambled back up as two more of those thin ghosts smirked at him before finding somewhere to hide.

Hiders. That was the perfect name for these ghosts.

As Luigi searched desk drawers and vases for the Hiders, they caused more nuisances by lobbing a variety of projectiles at him. Whenever Luigi uncovered a Hider, he had to act quickly before they dove into another hiding place. By the time he managed to capture the Hiders, he was winded, sweaty, bruised and cross.

"Let's try this again," he breathed, once again heading upstairs.

He reached the top without incident and flashed his Strobulb at the safe, which yielded a health-replenishing, heart-shaped object. Then, he unlocked the door to the Master Hall, which was covered in cobwebs. Luigi made a disgusted face before continuing on his way.

After flashing his Strobulb at some golden spiders, Luigi slipped into the parlor, which he searched top-to-bottom. He vacuumed the record-player, but the song had just started playing when out popped a Greenie, causing Luigi to leap high into the air.

By the time Luigi gathered his bearings, another Greenie had joined the party. The first Greenie got in a punch to the face, and the second Greenie scored a shot to the midsection before both were floored by a Strobulb flash, Luigi ignoring the pain and capturing them with a powerful surge. There was no time to rest, as a Slammer appeared right after. This Slammer dragged him all over the parlor and also landed a few blows, yet Luigi prevailed all the same. He sent the Slammer to join the others and caught the second gear as it arced toward him.

Halfway through—over the hump.

Luigi found another golden bone in one of the cupboards, spun the ceiling fan around to reveal more treasure and flashed a panel on the grandfather clock, revealing another gem. Finally, he strode down the master hall into a bedroom.

He spent some time exploring the area, uncovering more treasure and hearts and inadvertently discovering a fake door which violently slammed him against the wall.

"I hate those things," he hissed.

He noticed a tassel-like cord and pulled on it to reveal a Murphy bed. A smile quirked at his lips as he ran a gloved finger along the mattress. It felt so soft—

"Fine—you talked me into it," he said after a while.

Luigi hopped onto the bed and lay back, settling himself in for a quick nap. What he didn't count on was the bed chucking him into a study of sorts!

"Another secret passageway," he mused. "Clever."

Picking himself up, Luigi looked around the study, only to be startled by a Greenie which then punched him in the jaw! But Luigi retaliated with his Strobulb and vacuumed up the troublemaker, winding up with some carpet burns during the struggle.

Next, three more Greenies and some mice arrived on the scene, and Luigi licked his lips, shifted his grip on the vacuum and confronted the lot of them. Luckily for him, these ghosts dropped hearts and varying amounts of treasure upon capture, and the more ghosts he tangled with, the better he became at fighting them. After the Greenies came a very angry Slammer, and Luigi found himself battered before bracing himself against a desk and vacuuming them up, emerging with the third gear in hand.

One more to go.

"Now how do I get out of here?" Luigi asked himself after acquiring some more treasure.

He got his answer when he rolled back the carpet to reveal a switch. Stepping on it extinguished the fireplace behind him.

Carefully, Luigi climbed inside. "Hello?"

Seconds later, the fireplace dropped him into the studio. Those two Hiders were still there, scattering upon his entrance.

However, Luigi vacuumed up a clump of dirt obstructing the door before worrying about the Hiders.

Projectiles began flying at him from different directions as Luigi attempted to uncover his sneaky opponents. Still, he managed to maintain his grip on the vacuum while dodging apple cores and the like. And of course, Luigi had to deal with a Slammer hiding behind the easel afterwards, who didn't exercise restraint just because Luigi was getting a little exhausted. But the battle paid off when he saw the fourth and final gear clatter to the floor next to him. He picked it up, pressed it to his lips and laughed.

The Dual Scream rang.

"Yello?"

"How goes it, Luigi?" asked Gadd.

"I have the gears," reported Luigi, "but it wasn't easy."

"That quick? My…" gushed Gadd. "Well, you got there in the end. Great work, youngster!"

"Thanks," said Luigi.

"All that remains is for you to head back to the foyer and put the gears back into the access mechanism."

"Seems easy enough. _Ciao_."

Before leaving the studio, however, Luigi vacuumed up some treasure before snagging a gemstone hiding among the drapes.

He exited the studio and walked through the common hall into the foyer, where he ran up to the mechanism.

Unfortunately, the gears couldn't fit inside—the Slammers had manhandled them too much. Luigi cursed softly before answering an incoming call on the Dual Scream.

"Yello?"

"Why the long face, Luigi?" asked Gadd. "Well, genetics, I suppose…"

Luigi sighed. "I'm having a little trouble with the gears," he explained.

"You mean—they don't fit?"

"Well, what do you think?!" In a softer tone, Luigi continued, "The Slammers obviously didn't treat them kindly."

Gadd muttered something. "I suppose I'll have to repair them in order to make them work."

"Looks that way," said Luigi. "I'm sorry I snapped at you."

"I totally get it," said Gadd. "Ghost-wrangling is stressful work. And what we can take away from this is that you recovered all four gears. Plus, you captured some very interesting ghosts. We shouldn't count that out, either."

"Nope."

"I can't wait to check them out," Gadd went on. "I'm bringing you back now."

"_Ciao_," said Luigi.

Feeling better, he did another celebratory dance in the foyer before being recalled to the Bunker.

**...**

"Good work, Luigi!" Gadd said when the plumber arrived. "I knew that calling you was the best course of action. Now, let's have a look at those gears."

Luigi carefully turned over the gears to his mentor, who looked them over.

"Hmm—I'll come up with something to make them work again," he said after a while. "How about you unload the Poltergust and see what kind of ghostly goodies you've gathered."

Luigi emptied the Poltergust into that singular contraption.

"I was right," Gadd said when Luigi was finished. "These new ghosts are very interesting, indeed! Such spectacular specimens!"

_Say_ that_ three times fast_, thought Luigi.

"And they won't be making any more trouble for us now that they're in the Vault," Gadd went on. "Wanna cool off in the lounge? I need to figure out a way to make those gears work again."

"All right," said Luigi, walking back into the lounge and flopping onto one of the sofas.

His first action was to check for any texts and voice messages from Mario. His brow crinkled when he found none.

"I'll keep trying," he muttered, sending a few more texts before connecting both his phone and the Dual Screen to a charger.

Shrugging off the Poltergust and setting it aside, Luigi reclined on the sofa, resting his head on one of the pillows. Within seconds, he was asleep.

**Please R&R.**


	6. A-3: Quiet, Please!

The professor walked into the lounge to find his friend and mentee on the couch, fast asleep. Soft snores issued from the younger man, drool seeping from one corner of his mouth. Delicately, Gadd took a handkerchief and wiped away the saliva. Then, he gazed fondly at the slumbering youngster.

_He looks so cute when he sleeps_, Gadd thought.

Unfortunately, Luigi's siesta would have to be cut short. Gadd reached out and lightly touched the plumber's shoulder.

"Luigi?" he whispered.

Luigi's eyes fluttered open. "Hm?" he uttered. "Oh—hey, Professor. Any updates?"

"I've managed to solve our little dilemma about those gears," said Gadd. "Come with me, and I'll show you."

Luigi sat up, slid the Poltergust back on and followed Gadd back to the console area. The elderly researcher took out the four gears, now lined up on some sort of crank, and gave them to the younger fellow.

"Here you go," said Gadd. "Use this to operate the access mechanism. Once you do so, you'll be able to access the north rooms of the Gloomy Manor."

"Got it," said Luigi, pocketing the crank.

The two men froze at the sounds of piano music wafting through the valley.

"Oh, my," said Gadd. "Do you hear that?"

Luigi nodded distractedly, his mind in another time period. How could he forget Melody, the spectral beauty of the ivory keys, and the sonata she played for him? She was one of the nicer ghosts he'd encountered that night, her only attack consisting of throwing music sheets at him. And after he'd captured her, he'd sat down at that piano and channeled all of his emotions into a melody of doubt, which slowly but surely lightened into a melody of hope. He'd kept his piano-playing skills sharp ever since.

Gadd swiveled back to his console. "The Parascope is picking up an audible signal from the very same area we're trying to reach!" he mused. "More specifically—music!"

_Why does he need a Parascope to figure _that_ out_? Luigi thought.

"If I remember correctly, there's a grand piano in the library," said Gadd. "Maybe a ghost is playing around on it."

"Could be," Luigi nervously said.

"Anyhoo—let's mark where you need to go first on the map," said Gadd.

Luigi took out his Dual Scream just in time to see that exclamation point appear.

"This is the strongest paranormal signal we've seen yet," said Gadd. "With a signal _that_ strong, I reckon the ghost playing the piano might be giving orders to the other ghosts!"

"Maybe—that ghost is the one who shattered the Dark Moon," theorized Luigi, "for [bleeps] and giggles."

"Could be," said Gadd. "There's no time to waste, Luigi. Get to the library, and catch that ghost!"

"Okeydokey," said Luigi.

With that, Gadd pixelated Luigi back to the Gloomy Manor.

He _still_ was unable to land on his feet, but at least the fall hurt less. Luigi muttered something as he got to his feet, hearing the faint sounds of the grand piano. In his distracted state, he jostled a suit of armor, causing the head to fly off and treasure to spill everywhere.

_A fortunate accident_, Luigi thought, vacuuming everything up. Just as he finished, the Dual Scream rang.

"Yello?"

"Hey there, Luigi! I noticed you've been busy collecting coins, bills and gold bars," said Gadd.

"Yes, and…" prompted Luigi.

"There's nothing wrong with that!" chirped Gadd. "The mansion is abandoned, so finders keepers, I suppose!"

"Just like last time," mused Luigi.

"As a matter of fact, I'm also gathering some resources of my own," Gadd went on. "I'm gonna used them to develop upgrades for your Poltergust 5000!"

"You'd—really do that for me?"

"You'd better believe it!" chuckled Gadd. "Good luck on your treasure hunt, youngster!"

"Thanks, I guess," said Luigi. "_Ciao_."

He suctioned the armor's head to the nozzle and aimed it at the other suit, hoping to knock that one's head off, as well. The projectile missed and hit one of the paintings on the wall, which moved aside to reveal another gemstone.

"Nice," said Luigi as he grabbed it.

He strode into the guard hall, where he noticed that all of the suits of armor had disappeared. It was something he had to deal with later, though.

A flash of lightning made him jump and then quicken his pace.

In the foyer, he walked straight up to the mechanism, inserted the gears into the slot and turned the crank. Then, he stood back and watched as the large aquarium lowered onto the first floor.

"I did it!" cheered Luigi.

The man in green started up the stairs to the newly-revealed set of double doors on the second floor. Halfway up, however, the stairs again dropped out from under him, and he heard ghostly laughter as he slid to the bottom.

_Just my luck_, he thought.

A liberal mix of Greenies and Slammers confronted him then, and he wrenched his body erect and let his Strobulb and vacuum rip. Each surge he activated sent a vibration through him which took his breath away. Truly, it was an amazing sensation.

The tussle ended with all of the ghosts in the Poltergust and Luigi invigorated and ready for more—sort of. He jogged back up the stairs and through those double doors into a lobby, where two Greenies were playing rock-paper-scissors. Those pink gates slammed down as the Greenies stopped their game and attacked. Luigi stunned and vacuumed the Greenie on the left, followed by the Greenie on the right. When he was finished, he heard an elevator ding and whirled as the lift opened, revealing a Slammer and some spiders.

Those spiders were easy—Luigi could either stun them to reveal a coin or vacuum them. That Slammer, however, was a different story. They couldn't stop taking swipes at him, and when he finally managed to stun and vacuum them, they roughly dragged him all over the place and nearly made him lose his balance. He found a wall to brace himself against and finally wrestled the Slammer into the Poltergust.

As he rested, he uncovered a safe stuffed with coins and dollar bills. Once the treasure had been collected, he proceeded into the library.

A lively tune played on the grand piano, and Luigi saw a bunch of books levitating all around the library's first floor. He gasped as one book floated up and then dive-bombed him. More books started flying his way, and he managed to dodge some and suck up some more before two of them hit him.

"J—s," he said. "Instead of me hitting the books, the books hit me."

He noticed a door at the other side of the room and hurried toward it, evading or trying to evade more attacking books. When he stumbled through that door, he discovered that he was in a dining room.

"Who puts a dining room next to a library?" he wondered aloud.

He vacuumed up tons of treasure and even did the tablecloth trick just for the heck of it. There was even a golden bone hiding in one of the food carts and a gemstone inside a safe on the ceiling.

"I gotta get back to the first floor to confront that ghost," he murmured, "but how?"

He noticed another tassel dangling from the ceiling and pulled on it, opening some sort of elevator for dishes.

"Worth a shot."

He climbed inside and was taken down into the kitchen.

The first thing Luigi did was check his relative position on his Dual Scream. He was right next to the library's lower level.

"Nice," he said.

He vacuumed some piles of dirt off the floor and scouted the room for any valuables. But then those gates slammed down, and he was confronted with a Greenie. This Greenie was armed with a rolling pin and wore a saucepan on their head, presumably to protect themselves against the Strobulb.

"Oh, great."

Since the Greenie couldn't see, their swings with the rolling pin were wild and uncoordinated. Luigi dodged and darted out of the way, and when he saw that the Greenie was growing dizzy and tired, he pounced, stunning the Greenie and making them drop the rolling pin and saucepan. Then, he captured them with one quick surge.

Two more Greenies came at him, one unarmed and the other one carrying a rolling pin, a saucepan and a pizza pan. Luigi captured the unarmed Greenie first and was nailed several times by the armed Greenie before subduing them, too.

"They're getting smarter," he gasped once the battle was over.

He opened the freezer and noticed a gemstone encased by some ice. Attaching the ice to the nozzle, he held it over a nearby stove, melting it and then pocketing the freed gemstone. Finally, he plucked some smaller chunks of ice, put them in a cloth and used the makeshift compress to soothe his bruises.

Once the pain had dulled significantly, Luigi exited the kitchen and stepped into the library to confront the ghost.

The ghost in question had a yellow-orange color, a thin body and a swollen head with a pink circle visible inside. It occurred to Luigi that the pink circle was the ghost's _brain_. That wasn't in the least bit unsettling. Not at all.

And then the ghost abruptly stopped playing the piano and turned toward him.

"Whoa!" Luigi exclaimed.

The brainy ghost laughed and floated into the air, books beginning to orbit around them. Then, they disappeared.

A frenetic, dark tune began to play on the grand piano as Luigi readied the Poltergust, searching for a sign of his brainy foe.

"Show yourself!" he exclaimed.

He heard a low "mimimimimimimi…" and spun around in time to dodge an incoming book. In return, Luigi flashed the brainy ghost with the Strobulb; unfortunately, said ghost used a book to block the flash, chuckling.

"You gotta be s—ing me," said Luigi.

The brainy ghost's laughter echoed from all around as the game of hide-and-seek began again. When a book slammed into his side, Luigi whirled on the brainy ghost at once. They blocked the first flash, but they sure didn't expect a second one! Ignoring everything else, Luigi rocked back on his heels and pulled, the vacuum surging once—twice—thrice—until the brainy ghost broke free.

Luigi spat out a curse and then assessed his recent injury. It really hurt, and there was bound to be swelling later on, but at least it wasn't serious. He let out a slow breath, paying no attention to his side, and waited for the brainy ghost to strike.

"Mimimimimimimimi…"

Luigi spun and flashed the Strobulb once, and then again. One last surge was all it took to capture the brainy nuisance.

But then, two more brainy nuisances came out to play!

Luigi tightened his grip on the Poltergust and set his face as more books levitated around him. He dodged as many as he could, keeping his ear out for his opponents, and shook off the books that managed to connect. As soon as he saw a brainy ghost, he lit up the library with a brilliant flash and started vacuuming. However, the other brainy ghost was still free to throw books, and the impact was powerful enough to jar Luigi's grip and allow the brainy ghost he was trying to capture to escape.

It was Luigi's first major ghost battle since this adventure started. As he took more hits, he told himself that it was time to start thinking outside the box. His Strobulb flashes grew more precise as he endeavored to nail both brainy ghosts at once. They'd try to pull away in different directions, but Luigi would simply engage all of his muscles and pull right back. And all the while, the piano kept playing, the frenzied tune quite fitting as the fight raged on.

After God-knows-how-long, the last brainy ghost was captured. Luigi plopped onto the floor, sweaty, bruised and spent.

"Knowledge is power," he murmured, "but not like _that_."

He remained seated on the floor, catching his breath, even when his Dual Scream rang.

"Yello?"

"Oh, my God—are you okay, Luigi?!" Gadd asked in alarm.

"I'll live," replied Luigi.

Gadd relaxed. "You had me worried for a minute there, kiddo! Those big-brained ghosts sure put up a fight! I'll be sure to restock on ice for you."

"Thanks," said Luigi.

"By the way, those ghosts are called Poltergeists," said Gadd. "The way they were throwing all those books at you reminded me of my college professors, that's for sure!"

Both men shared a laugh.

"All right—I'll bring you back now so I can study those magnificent specimens!"

"_Ciao_."

Luigi put the Dual Scream away and walked over to the grand piano, running his fingers along the keys.

"Next time, baby," he promised as the Pixelator activated.

**…**

"Hello, Luigi!" Gadd greeted upon Luigi's return. "Good to see you back in one piece!"

"It's good to _be_ back in one piece," said Luigi.

He emptied the Poltergust before sliding it off, deciding to give his shoulders another break.

"I have some good news," said Gadd. "You've collected enough treasure for me to work on your first upgrade!"

"I could use one right about now," mused Luigi.

"Have you noticed the meter that fills up whenever you're vacuuming a ghost?"

"Yeah."

"I call that—the Surge function. As you have seen, it gives you a competitive edge in a ghostly throwdown. The first upgrade I have in mind will expand upon that."

"Okeydokey," said Luigi, handing the Poltergust to his mentor.

"Those brainy Poltergeists sure are strong, but they don't seem to be in charge of the other ghosts," said Gadd. "However, I bet they're still worth studying!"

"I've never encountered that type of ghost before," said Luigi, "so this is a bit of a first for me."

Gadd nodded. "It's just so fascinating how some ghosts can evolve into more advanced forms," he said. "I don't fully understand the nature of their power, but I will one day. _That_ will be my legacy in the world of paranormal science!

"First, however, we need to get this Dark Moon mess cleaned up. The upgrade should take between thirty minutes and an hour to complete. After that, I'll check with the Parascope for more developments."

"_We?!_" I'm_ the one doing the cleaning while you're sitting on your [bleep], safe as safe can be!_

But Luigi corralled his temper and smiled at Gadd. He _needed_ his help, and he wasn't about to let him down.

"I'll leave you to it, Professor," he said quietly before heading off to the lounge.

He couldn't wait for the sweet relief of ice against his bruised skin.

**Please R&R.**


	7. A-4: Visual Tricks

"All right, youngster—it's ready."

Removing the ice from his bruises, Luigi pulled his shirt back on, refastened his coveralls and rejoined Gadd. The scientist held the Poltergust out to him, and he wasted no time sliding it back on.

"I gave the Surge meter an extra power level," Gadd explained. "The first power level is blue, and the second one is green."

Luigi smiled. "Thank you, Professor."

"You're welcome," said Gadd. "I gotta tell you, though—some things in this world are just too strange to be real. Some _are_ real, of course, but some are—illusions."

"What are you saying?" asked Luigi.

"Allow me to show you something," said Gadd.

He pulled out a jar, a small, light purple ball floating within.

"Whoa—what on Earth is that?" Luigi wanted to know.

"This is a Spirit Ball, a paranormal specimen with the ability to cause illusions," Gadd told him. "And someone is releasing a whole mess of them inside the Gloomy Manor!"

Like a curious child, Luigi reached out toward the jar, only for Gadd to yank it away.

"That's why some of the objects there—even whole suits of armor—have suddenly vanished!" Gadd went on. "But trust me—they're still present!"

"I _did_ notice that the armor along the guard hall was missing when I was tracking down the Poltergeist," said Luigi.

"Luckily, I created a special Poltergust 5000 attachment a while back that will help us," said Gadd. "I call it the Dark-Light Device. It's a nifty little gadget able to break illusions, such as objects that have been turned invisible."

"Hm," said Luigi. "Interesting."

"But with all of the ghosts hostile and aggressive, I haven't been able to return to my lab to retrieve it," said Gadd.

"So—I suppose that task falls to me?" asked Luigi.

"Yep," said Gadd, marking the spot on the Dual Scream. "You'll find the Dark-Light Device attached to its charging station. It should be fully charged by now."

"Charging station. Got it."

"All right—I'm sending you in. Prepare to be pixelated!"

Luigi groaned inwardly. That wasn't going to be his favorite mode of transportation anytime soon.

**…**

Once inside the Gloomy Manor, Luigi went straightaway to the foyer, noticing that the suits of armor had reappeared. From there, he entered the common hall, but as he approached the door to the lab, it mysteriously faded away!

"What in the Inferno…?" breathed Luigi.

A familiar, high-pitched giggle split the air, a sound which permeated the worst of Luigi's nightmares. For that sound—was the sound of a Boo laughing.

"_Dio_…"

He squeezed his eyes shut and shook his head to chase the flashbacks away.

And then the Dual Scream went off.

"Y—yello?"

"Luigi, am I seeing this right? Did the lab's door just—disappear?"

"It did," said Luigi.

"It must've been haunted by Spirit Balls from inside the room! Hmm—I'm sure there's another way into the lab."

"There'd better be," said Luigi, choosing not to tell Gadd about the giggling he'd heard.

"It shouldn't be _that_ difficult," Gadd assured him.

_For you_, thought Luigi.

"_Ciao_," he said before hanging up.

He took out his phone, plugged in his earbuds, opened the Rhapsody music app and selected one of his favorite playlists. Then, he put in one earbud, pressed "play" and slipped the phone into his pocket.

Anything to help maintain his sanity.

As the music began to play, Luigi recalled seeing a fireplace in the parlor. Perhaps it also doubled as a secret passageway, like the fireplace in the study. Only one way to find out…

Luigi headed back into the foyer and started up the stairs—

…only for them to drop out from under him for the third time!

He raised his head and glared at several Hiders who were making faces at him. When they saw him grab his vacuum, they made a beeline for the nearest hiding place. To make things worse, a Slammer arrived to help them.

After weighing his options, Luigi engaged the Slammer first. And as Gadd had said, the Surge meter flashed blue, and then green, before Luigi pressed the red button. Thanks to the improved Surge, Luigi was able to capture the Slammer in one try.

The Hiders really stepped up their game, however, flinging banana peels as well as their usual projectiles and laughing as Luigi slipped and fell on his butt. But they weren't laughing for long, with Luigi stunning and sucking up two at a time. He defeated them in no time flat and still had enough breath in him to race up the stairs and into the parlor.

Just as Luigi stepped inside, the fireplace extinguished, and that giggle sounded again as some more Spirit Balls exited the flue and entered the grandfather clock. Wasting no time, he climbed into the fireplace and braced himself as he was dropped into the lab.

As soon as he reoriented himself, he saw what appeared to be a flashlight directing a beam of multicolored light at the ceiling.

_That must be the Dark-Light Device,_ he thought.

He walked over and reached out to take it, but then a Greenie wearing sunglasses popped out and startled him. Before Luigi could compose himself, the Greenie took the Dark-Light Device, which was actually shaped like a flashlight bulb, and retreated into the lab's blackboard.

Remembering his last trip to the lab, Luigi went to the blackboard and used the vacuum to spin it around. The Greenie tumbled out, dazed, but those sunglasses blocked the Strobulb's flash. He'd have to vacuum up the sunglasses first—and so he did.

It wasn't over yet, though. Two more Greenies wearing sunglasses emerged, and Luigi dealt with them in the same fashion—sucking up the sunglasses before stunning the Greenies and sucking _them_ up. He cleared out the room fairly quickly, triumphantly claiming the Dark-Light Device and screwing it onto his flashlight.

He answered an incoming call from Gadd.

"Yello?"

"Luigi, whoever is releasing those Spirit Balls is somehow able to avoid the P—and there it is! You found the Dark Light Device! Good work!"

"Thanks."

"Why don't you try it out? I know for sure that there's an illusion or two in that room."

"_Ciao_." Luigi put the Dual Scream away and turned toward where the grandfather clock once stood.

Then, he pressed the button, watching as the grandfather clock slowly rematerialized, expelling the Spirit Balls as it did. The Spirit Balls make tiny squeaking noises as he vacuumed them up. After that, he faced the exit and used the Dark-Light Device to reveal the hidden door, sucking up more Spirit Balls.

When he exited the lab, the Dual Scream rang again.

"Yello?"

"Excellent, Luigi!" cheered Gadd. "I won't have to ask you to leave now—because you've already shown yourself the door!" He laughed. "Now, then. Have you been hearing that creepy laughter?"

_He knows!_ "Y—yeah," replied Luigi.

"Whoever is releasing those Spirit Balls seems to be enjoying themselves!"

"Yeah, you think?"

"I'm not having any luck with the Parascope, so it's up to you to find the culprit and put a stop to them!"

_Of course._

"_Ciao_," said Luigi before hanging up.

At the end of the master hall, Luigi saw a doormat and shone his Dark-Light Device at the wall, revealing the door. Near the door was a monochrome painting of a key. He stared at it, pursing his lips, before turning the DLD on it. The key became colorized and fell out of the painting, landing on the carpet.

"Fascinating," mused Luigi.

He unlocked the door, pushed it open and walked out into the patio, where more of those flowers awaited. One by one, he flashed the Strobulb at them and vacuumed up the dollar bills they spat out, and then used the vacuum to spin the merry-go-round until a fountain of treasure geysered from it. He also sucked up clumps of dirt and uncovered more illusions with the DLD. One of them was a statue of Gadd with a propeller mounted on top. Spinning the propeller raised the statue, revealing another key. Another illusion was a smaller statue in a nearby fountain, which spat out a gemstone once Luigi captured all of the Spirit Balls. During all of this, Luigi noticed that the DLD would burn out if he held down the button for too long. He'd have to wait for it to recharge before using it again.

He revealed another door which took him under the stairs, where some treasure and some golden spiders awaited. Another door took him behind the aquarium in the Foyer, where another gemstone was located. He plucked a fourth golden bone from a vase before unlocking the door to the kitchen.

The kitchen was dark, and Luigi could hear some ghosts bustling about. When those gates slammed down over the doors, two Hiders, an unarmed Greenie and an armed Greenie revealed themselves. The Hiders kept Luigi on his toes by flinging all sorts of fruits and vegetables at him, while the armed Greenie tried to bash him with a rolling pin and the unarmed Greenie taunted him. It was a rough fight, but Luigi stayed with it and won, applying more ice to the bruises he'd taken before continuing on his way.

He took the secret passageway up to the dining room, where he was greeted with a sight that made his blood run cold.

A Boo, cute but deadly (and psycho), hovered above the dining room table, casting Spirit Balls all over it and making it disappear. The Boo cackled at their handiwork before flying off.

Whether or not Boos were native to Evershade Valley, Luigi had no way of knowing, but he strongly hoped they weren't.

The pink gates dropped down as Luigi pointed the DLD at the table, expelling the Spirit Balls from it and vacuuming them up, wincing in pain whenever they touched him.

Just as he finished, the Boo floated back inside, confusion scrawled across their features when they noticed that their work had been undone. That confusion then turned to anger when the Boo eyed the plumber responsible.

"You!" they snapped. "What are you doing here?!"

"What are _you_ doing here?" Luigi retorted.

"No matter," grinned the Boo. "Now that you're here, it's time to have some fun!"

The Boo cackled and swooped toward Luigi, who ducked in the nick of time. He popped his head back up to see that the Boo had disappeared.

Cackling. "Catch me if you can!" the Boo sang out.

"How…?" muttered Luigi, and then it occurred. "Maybe the DLD can uncover Boos as well as illusions."

He flashed the multicolored light in the direction of the cackling, causing the Boo to rematerialize. Luigi also found out that the DLD could stun the Boo, causing them to lick out their tongues. Without missing a beat, Luigi suctioned onto the Boo's tongue, pulled it taut, and then released it like a slingshot. He stood back and watched as the Boo bounced all over the dining room like a ball, leaving coins in their wake.

The Boo then came to a stop, where they lay there, dazed. Luigi ran over and captured them, having to briefly jump on them like a pogo stick so they could fit inside the vacuum.

The lights came back on once Luigi vacuumed up the Boo, and then Gadd called.

"Yello?"

"Are you all right, Luigi?" asked Gadd.

"Yeah. I'm fine."

"What in God's name was a Boo doing in the valley?!"

Luigi frowned. "They're not native to this place?"

"Absolutely not! At least, I haven't seen a Boo in these parts yet!" Gadd caught his breath. "Good thing you had the DLD with you, or you would've been in real trouble!"

"Say that again."

"Let's get you out of there," said Gadd. "Hold on tight!"

"_Ciao_." Luigi hung up and did another victory dance before being recalled to the Bunker.

**…**

Gadd was in good spirits when Luigi returned.

"Excellent!" he cried. "I'm positively tickled that my Dark-Light Device worked!"

Luigi emptied the Poltergust and accepted the glass of lemonade Gadd offered him.

"It's concerning to find a Boo in the Gloomy Manor," mused Gadd. "They always spell trouble—especially if they gang up!"

Luigi shuddered. "You don't have to remind me," he said.

"If you see any more, then be sure to capture them right away!" Gadd instructed.

"You had me at 'capture'," said Luigi.

"I have a special container just for Boos down in the Vault," Gadd went on. "Funny story, actually. You may remember that I used to have a device called the Portrifica…"

"All right—you can spare me the trip down Memory Lane," Luigi broke in. "Just make sure nothing happens to that container, okay?"

"Okay," said Gadd, wearing a concerned look.

Before he could press the matter, however—

"Hold on a sec. The Parascope is acting up." He spun toward the console and pushed a few buttons. "The signals coming from the Gloomy Manor are…"

He glanced at Luigi, his face pale. "Give me a minute. I need to figure this out."

"Okay," said Luigi. "I didn't mean to get sharp with you just now. It's just—I don't wanna go back there right now."

"Understood," said Gadd. "Run along now, youngster. I'll let you know if something comes up."

Luigi smiled at his mentor before heading toward the lounge.

**Please R&R.**


	8. A-5: Sticky Situation

He was perturbed beyond belief to see that his bro _still_ hadn't responded to his text messages. It was very unlike Mario to ignore Luigi's texts on purpose. A little red flag started to go up—Mario could be in danger, and Luigi had no idea of his location. Back when they were children, he'd made a vow to his big brother, to always be there for him and protect him, and he'd keep to it no matter what the cost.

When he tried to call Mario, he was further perturbed when he was booted to voice mail. Luigi attempted to keep his voice calm as he left a message for his brother, explaining the situation to him and telling him to call back as soon as possible. Then, he leaned back and closed his eyes, willing himself to relax.

"_Big Bro—you never really told me what else happened to you in that mansion."_

_ "That's because you don't need those images in your head."_

"Luigi?"

Luigi opened his eyes at the sound of Gadd's voice, walking over to join him.

"Hi, Professor," greeted Luigi.

"You're not gonna believe this," said Gadd. "Something unexpected—and gross—has happened to the Gloomy Manor."

Luigi grimaced. "What is it?"

"It's been infested with spiders, and they're redecorating the place with sticky webs!"

"Ew," shuddered Luigi.

"Ew, indeed! It started suddenly, and definitely not by natural means!" Gadd shook his head. "At this rate, just walking around the place will soon become impossible!"

"_That_ bad, huh?"

"And how! Luigi, you have to get back to the manor posthaste, and suck up every last web with the Poltergust 5000."

"You can count on me," said Luigi.

"I know I can. Meanwhile, I'll try to figure out how this could've happened."

Gadd wished Luigi good luck before activating the Pixelator.

**…**

Once he'd landed in the manor's entrance, Luigi noticed a monochrome painting of a coin and shone his DLD at it. The painting became colorized before dropping a single coin. Making a face, Luigi picked it up before starting his task.

The first web was located on a suit of armor in the guard hall. Luigi had to be extra careful in vacuuming it up, so the armor's sword wouldn't slash him. As soon as he sucked up the web, several spiders dropped to the floor, and Luigi stunned them all before cleaning the rest of the webs from the guard hall. The room brightened as soon as he was finished.

There were no webs in the foyer, so Luigi checked his Dual Scream and found that areas of interest were marked with exclamation points. One such area of interest was the common hall.

Sure enough, one half of the common hall was strewn with webs. These webs were so thick that Luigi couldn't simply vacuum them away. Near the lab, Luigi noticed a web ball he could stick to the end of his vacuum. Maybe that could help…

His eye fell on some candles alight on a nearby table. Of course! He could burn the thicker webs and use the web ball as a torch! After putting on his music, Luigi took the web ball and held it over the candles until it was set aflame. Then, he touched the burning web ball to the thick webs all over the common hall, clearing them away, before warding off some more spiders. He continued with this until the web ball had burned itself out.

Humming to himself, Luigi vacuumed away the smaller webs covering the windows, set a fresh web ball alight and used it to burn away the rest of the webs and spiders in the common hall.

In the first floor library, there were a few spiderwebs that could simply be vacuumed away, but several books and the grand piano were missing. Luigi uncovered them all with the DLD and captured all of the Spirit Balls—only for a Boo to pop out of the grand piano!

"Ooga Booga!" chortled the Boo. "Did I scare you? My name's—wait for it—Ooga Booga!"

Ooga Booga disappeared, and Luigi followed the sound of their laughter, using the DLD to reveal and stun them before grabbing their tongue, pulling it taut and then launching them. He had to do this twice in order to deplete Ooga Booga's HP, and then he vacuumed them up.

There was a gemstone in the library's globe, which he collected before proceeding to the kitchen. As he searched for any spiderwebs, two Slammers popped out and attacked him!

These Slammers were joined by two more Slammers, kicking off a pretty nasty tussle in the kitchen. Eventually, Luigi managed to capture them two at a time, but not before taking several punches and a clapping attack. Finding the kitchen web-free, he decided to inspect the dining room.

He saw plenty of webs there, along with two Hiders. Luigi vacuumed up as many webs as he could before the Hiders arrested his attention. One of the Hiders was in a food cart, and another was among the food on the table. After defeating them, he had to deal with two more Hiders before clearing away the rest of the webs and finding a fifth golden bone.

There were a few webs in the second floor library, along with a monochrome painting of a fire. Flashing the DLD on it turned the painting into actual flames, which he used to ignite a web ball and burn away the difficult webs. He could just vacuum up the rest.

From a hidden door in the lobby, he walked out onto the balcony, where he was confronted with more thick webs. There was some sort of grill with a green panel on it. When Luigi flashed the panel with the Strobulb, the grill activated, burning away the web atop it. Next, he dragged a web cord over to the grill, which behaved like a fuse of dynamite and burned away the web attached to it. After that, he used a web ball to burn away the remaining webs on the balcony and headed back inside, where he proceeded to the master hall.

A web cord dangled overhead, and there was a candle on the wall beside a painting. When Luigi vacuumed a web next to the painting, it leaned to the side, knocking the candle askew and burning a nearby web. He dragged the web cord toward the candle, evading the spiders dropping down, and used it to burn a mass of webbing. Then, he took a web ball and took care of some more masses of webbing.

Pulling on another tassel caused a ladder to drop down, which took him up into the rafters. After opening a safe full of treasure and vacuuming up a few webs, Luigi had to cautiously step across wooden beams to get to the other side, where he used web balls, web cords and the DLD to burn away the rest of the webs, earning a gemstone in the process.

His legs were shaking by the time he returned to the master hall, but he'd worry about that later. He went to the bedroom, where he noticed a small flame burning on a furnace of sorts and a web cord dangling from the ceiling fan. So, he used the vacuum to spin the ceiling fan, which ignited the cord and burned all of the webs in the room. He took a gemstone from behind a privacy screen before moving on to the study. There was a painting of a gemstone on the wall, but he used the DLD to turn it into a real gemstone.

From there, Luigi went through the rest of the rooms, cleaning up webs big and small, dealing with a few ghosts along the way and keeping an eye out for treasure and gemstones. By the time he finally finished, he was bruised, cross and sporting several spider bites.

The Dual Scream rang.

"Yello?"

"Good work, Luigi," said Gadd. "The spiders should leave now that you've removed their webs."

"I hope so," said Luigi.

"However, a more pressing issue has come up," said Gadd. "I may have discovered where the spiders came from! I'll bring you back now to fill you in."

"_Ciao_." Luigi put the Dual Scream away and did a small victory dance before Gadd pixelated him back.

**…**

"I really hope you saw all of that, Professor," Luigi said upon his return to the Bunker, "because I'm _not_ doing that again."

Gadd chuckled. "Glad to see you back, youngster. Did you capture any ghosts?"

"You'd better believe it. That upgrade you gave me makes it easier!"

Luigi emptied the Poltergust into the Vault before turning back to Gadd. "You told me that you've found where those spiders were coming from," he said.

Gadd nodded. "While you were cleaning out all those webs, I made an important discovery—there's an incredibly strong paranormal signal coming from deep within the manor!"

"_Dio_," said Luigi.

"Now, I'm not sure what it is or how it managed to evade the Parascope's radar for so long, but I reckon it's somehow connected to the spider infestation!"

Luigi streamed out a breath. "That was quite a sticky situation," he said. "Truth is—I've dealt with stickier situations than that." He blushed.

"Uh—okay, I won't ask what that stickier situation entails," said Gadd, "but I'll tell you that pinpointing the signal hasn't been the easiest of tasks. As soon as I find the guilty party, I'm sending you in after them. Get your game face on, Luigi!"

"Can't wait," said Luigi.

In the lounge, he got himself situated with some snacks before putting on his earbuds and turning his music up. Whoever was responsible for the mess with the spiders wouldn't give up easily, so Luigi needed all the rest he could get!

**Please R&R.**


	9. Confront the Source

"Eureka! I've cracked it!"

Professor Gadd spoke those words loud enough for Luigi to hear them through his earbuds. He turned off his music, unplugged his phone from its charger and sidled over to his mentor.

"Cracked what?" he asked.

"I've triangulated the powerful paranormal signal," said Gadd, "and it's coming from—the cellar."

"Well—cellars and basements are popular hiding places for ghosts," said Luigi. "I can certainly attest to that." He let out a nervous laugh.

"Apprehensive, aren't we?" asked Gadd. "Can't say I blame you."

"All I'm saying is—cellars have a terrible reputation," said Luigi.

"But I believe in you, Luigi!" exclaimed Gadd. "I know you can stand up to whatever's in that cellar!"

Luigi felt a little better. "Thanks, Professor," he said.

"You're welcome," said Gadd, "and once we find out who—or what—is behind this mess, we'll put a stop to it."

_No. _I'll_ put a stop to it while you cool your heels in this Bunker and give me instructions every few minutes._

"So, button up those overalls really tightly—and get ready for some action!" Gadd enthusiastically went on.

"How do I get to the cellar?" queried Luigi.

"You'll need to take the elevator," replied Gadd. "It's pretty straightforward, but I'll mark the location on your map."

He pressed a few buttons, and Luigi checked the Dual Scream for that singular exclamation point.

"I saw the elevator in the lobby," said Luigi. "Fingers crossed that it works."

"I imagine that it's operating permit may have expired," Gadd said brightly.

"Very encouraging, Professor. Very encouraging."

Gadd chuckled. "You may have also noticed that there's a gate in front of the elevator," he continued, handing Luigi a key. "Here—this should unlock it."

"Thanks."

"And try not to sweat it too much—I'm sure the elevator will run just fine."

"Uh…" Luigi slid off the Poltergust. "Hold on a sec."

One bathroom break and voicemail to his brother later, Luigi's nerves had steadied. He slid the elevator key into his pocket and faced Gadd with glittering eyes. "Okeydokey," he said. "Let's do this!"

"Okay, then," said Gadd. "I'll be tracking your progress from the relative warmth and comfort of my Bunker."

Luigi rolled his eyes. _Thanks for rubbing it in_, he thought.

"Yes, well—when I get back, I could have a Dark Moon piece for you," said Luigi.

"I'd like that," said Gadd.

The two exchanged smiles before Gadd sent Luigi off.

**…**

Luigi came close to landing on his feet this time, only to lose his balance and topple onto his stomach. He pushed himself back up, looked around and saw that he was in the upstairs lobby. And there, to his left, was the elevator.

Fishing out the key, Luigi unlocked the gate, pushed it open and pressed the elevator's call button. There was a _ding_ as the elevator doors slid open. "The Girl from Ipanema" played softly on the elevator's speakers.

Luigi stepped inside the elevator and pressed the button to the cellar. He hummed along to the music as the elevator's doors clanged shut and the car began its descent.

Thirty seconds later, the car jolted to a stop, as did the music. Luigi searched for the alarm button, along with the button to call for help, but no such buttons were to be found.

"Hello?" he called out.

No answer.

He pressed the button to the cellar again, and then again, and then the elevator resumed its descent. Slowly at first, then at its normal speed, and then faster until Luigi was clinging onto the railing for dear life, screaming and bracing for impact.

_THUD_!

The elevator landed hard, the doors flying open on impact and sending Luigi tumbling out. He sat there, regaining his bearings and checking himself for injuries, and then he got up and surveyed his surroundings.

Well, at least he was in the cellar.

He'd just started descending the stairs when they sent him sliding to the floor. Once he stood back up, he collected some treasure from one of those "paintings", along with some boxes and a chest beneath the stairs. Spiders were scattered all over the floor, and he almost got hit by a suit of armor bearing a torch while clearing them out. In front of Luigi were several layers of webbing, and attached to the first web was a web cord.

"Hm. Might as well," muttered Luigi as he took the web cord and dragged it toward the torch-bearing armor.

He'd only taken a half-dozen steps backward when—

Along came a spider, who pounced down on him! And not just any spider—a giant spider queen! This spider queen had glowing green eyes that glared ominously at Luigi, causing him to stumble back, trip and land on his butt.

Hissing, the spider queen raised her forelegs and speared them forward and down, Luigi scrabbling out of the way just in time. So _this_ was the source of all those sticky spiderwebs—an entire colony of spiders had claimed the Gloomy Manor their home! But last Luigi checked—spider queens didn't have glowing green eyes. Something was definitely afoot here.

Glancing back at the torch-bearing suit of armor, Luigi knew _exactly_ what to do. He flashed the spider queen with his Strobulb as she poised to attack him again. Then, he dragged the web cord toward the armor, leaning out of the way so that the torch hit the cord and not him. The cord ignited, the spider queen shrinking backward as the flame approached her—

_FWOOM_!

The web was blown away, knocking the spider queen onto her back. And out of that spider queen tumbled a white ghost with a horn on their head and something dark purple inside their chest.

The Dark Moon piece!

Luigi set his face and brandished the Poltergust. He had to get that Dark Moon back—he _had_ to! And he was _going_ to, no matter what it took.

The white ghost surrounded themselves with a violet force field and charged at Luigi, who cartwheeled out of the way. As a result, the ghost crashed into the wall, only to pull themselves free and charge again. This went on for a bit until the exhausted possessor dropped the force field. Luigi pounced, hitting the ghost with a fully-charged Strobulb flash and turning the vacuum on full-blast, digging in his heels and feeling that satisfying Surge when he pressed the red button.

Instead of the ghost, Luigi wound up vacuuming a ghostly layer of skin. Luigi stared at the ghost, who was now orange in hue. [Bleep] was getting a whole lot weirder, and he knew it.

Even more so when Luigi saw the ghost fly into the stunned spider queen, who recovered and hissed as she charged forward.

_A Possessor_, thought Luigi as he took cover. _I thought those type of ghosts were only in the movies._

The possessed spider queen doubled back, smashing through a wall and sending plaster and bricks crashing down. When the dust cleared, Luigi saw an old, dry web cord attached to a ceiling fan. Using the vacuum, Luigi sent the dry web cord swinging toward the torch, igniting it and burning away a web which covered a spear-bearing suit of armor. And beneath the spider queen was a fresh web cord.

_Perfect!_

Of course, Luigi's battle plan was easier said than done. His first course of action was to stun the spider queen. Next, he had to grab the fresh web cord in the nozzle and drag it toward the spear, all the while dodging smaller spiders and gobs of purple—whatever—the spider queen spat at him. A spider or two would nip him, causing him to lose his grip on the web cord and repeat the first step. And he wound up slashed a few times by the spider queen's forelegs when he didn't stun her fast enough. However, he wasn't someone to throw up his hands and quit, and eventually he was able to hook the web cord onto the spear without getting skewered himself. The rest was rather easy—blow on the ceiling fan with the vacuum, ignite the dry web cord, and in turn, ignite the fresh one, which burned away the web and drove the Possessor back out of the spider queen.

The shield reformed around the Possessor, who once again attempted to ride down Luigi, who always dodged and cartwheeled out of reach. He patiently waited for his opponent to drop their shield before going on the offensive, stunning the ghost and vacuuming away—another layer of skin?

"This is gonna be harder than I thought," panted Luigi.

He leaped aside as the Possessor flew back into the spider queen and charged forward and then back, sending the ceiling fan crashing down. Another wall was also leveled, revealing a web ball as well as a web cord. Luigi also noticed a third suit of armor, covered with webs.

"Okeydokey," Luigi said under his breath.

He took the web ball and carried it _aaaaallllll_ the way back to the first suit of armor, sidestepping spiders and whatever it was that the possessed spider queen kept spitting at him. After setting the web ball alight, he walked fairly fast toward the recently-uncovered suit of armor, using the flame to ward off the attacking spiders and narrowly avoiding two collapsing pillars of concrete. From there, he burned away the web covering the suit of armor while also igniting its torch.

After fending off some more spiders, Luigi whirled on the spider queen, stunning her, taking the web cord and dragging it toward the second torch-bearing armor. It worked out like the previous two times, burning away the last web and sending the Possessor flying out of their host.

Now, the Possessor sported a blood-red hue and appeared quite—grouchy. Capturing them was a cinch at this point, but Luigi didn't drop his guard. As soon as the Possessor dropped their force field, the man in green went in for the kill, the vacuum humming in his hands and each Surge resounding deep within his being. And finally, Luigi wrestled this grouchy Possessor into the Poltergust!

He gasped as the vacuum shuddered, and then the Dark Moon piece was launched out with enough force to knock him back a short distance. However, it felt—good.

Luigi laughed with relief as he ran over to the Dark Moon piece and tenderly scooped it up.

"Wait till the Professor sees _this_," he mused.

A noise made him turn, and he watched as the spider queen shrunk back to her normal size. She gave Luigi a slight nod before leaving peacefully, the other spiders obediently trailing behind her.

Then, Luigi heard a low rumble, and he shrieked and flattened himself against the wall as waves of spiders stampeded past him.

"J—s," he gasped.

The DS rang.

"Yello?"

"Remarkable!" interjected Gadd. "A ghost that can possess other beings! And, unless my eyes are going, the Possessor had a piece of the Dark Moon inside themselves!"

"They did," said Luigi.

"That was a pretty intense scuffle," said Gadd. "Are you all right?"

"Never better!"

"Well—the good thing is that you and the Poltergust 5000 really showed that boss ghost who's boss!" cheered Gadd.

Luigi blushed.

"I'm sure you're tired after that fight," said Gadd. "Let me bring you back."

"_Ciao_."

When Luigi pocketed the Dual Scream, it finally sank in that he single-handedly fought a Possessor—and won.

"Oh, yeah! I did it!" Luigi did a few leaps and backflips in the air before winding and swiveling his hips.

"Oh, yeah! Oh, yeah! Oh, yeah! Oh, y…" His victory dance was cut off when a stray spider startled him off his feet.

The spider regarded him curiously.

"What are _you_ looking at?" asked Luigi as he stood back up. "You think you can do any better?"

The spider blinked and scuttled off to join her brethren.

Luigi sighed. "Everyone's a critic."

**…**

"Luigi, my boy!" greeted Gadd after recalling the ghost-wrangler to the Bunker. "What a fight!"

"Say that again," said Luigi, but he was smiling.

"You really used your noggin to teach that ghost a lesson!" gushed Gadd. "Let's take a look at that body-snatcher!"

After Luigi emptied the Poltergust, he handed Gadd the Dark Moon piece.

"Fantastic!" cried the professor. "Now that we've recovered another Dark Moon piece, we just need to find the rest of them!"

Luigi sighed. "My gut tells me that it's gonna be an uphill battle from here," he said.

"Your gut is right. The ghosts wouldn't keep all the pieces in the same place, now would they? They've likely spread the pieces across the entire valley!"

Gadd studied the recently-obtained Dark Moon piece. "Wow—just like the other one, this thing is covered with the same corrupting energy! It's nothing a good scrubbing can't fix, though."

He placed the Dark Moon piece on the special cleaning device, where those arms scrubbed it spotless.

"Now, if my suspicions are correct…" Gadd fiddled with the console as he spoke. "Yes! More of that creepy fog has lifted! Maybe the Parascope will be able to locate more Dark Moon pieces now!"

"Maybe," echoed Luigi.

"Let's take a gander at the map and see what shakes loose."

Gadd lowered the fourth monitor, and a projection of another locale with a tree in the middle appeared.

"That's it—that's where we've got to go next!" shouted Gadd.

_Where _I've_ got to go next, you mean_.

"I made a couple of tweaks to the Pixelator," Gadd went on. "It should now be able to move you to the next location. But for now—let's rest awhile."

"I could use a drink," said Luigi. "Do you—have any wine?"

Gadd's eyes twinkled. "Luigi—you read my mind!" he exclaimed.

**Please R&R.**


	10. Gradual Infiltration

It was a refreshing break, sitting in the lounge with the Professor, the two of them sharing a bottle of sweet wine and snacks while they made small talk. But alas, such good things didn't last forever. The two men heard an alarm sounding from the console, causing them to set down their wine glasses and race out of the lounge on the double.

"Does it have anything to do with the Haunted Towers?" asked Luigi.

Gadd sat before the monitors, his fingers flying across his keyboard. "I'm afraid the Haunted Towers will have to wait," he said. "There's an unexpected development at the Gloomy Manor."

Luigi frowned. "Another Possessor?"

Gadd shook his head. "The Parascope has picked up more paranormal signals—and I have no idea where they're coming from!"

"Yikes," breathed Luigi.

"In any case, they're probably up to no good, so we need to capture them," said Gadd.

"I guess you're right," said Luigi. "I don't want them undoing my hard work, after all."

"I'll pixelate you back to the Gloomy Manor, and we'll take it from there," said Gadd. "Sound good?"

"Do I have to answer?" asked Luigi.

"After what you've faced so far, this should be a breeze!" Gadd said encouragingly.

Luigi smiled. "You've got a point there, Professor."

"Okay, off you go!" Gadd sang out as he activated the Pixelator.

**…**

"Oh, boy," sighed Luigi as he landed at the entrance. Then, he got to his feet and primed himself for the hunt.

"Luigi?" crackled Gadd's voice. "Can you hear me?"

"Yeah."

"I've got a reading on the ghosts," said Gadd. "Check your map!"

"Okeydokey," said Luigi, flipping open his Dual Scream and looking for those exclamation marks.

The first areas of interest were the garage, the mudroom and the foyer. After browsing on his phone for a suitable music playlist, Luigi decided to tackle the garage first.

Four Greenies were playing around in the car while two Slammers hovered around ominously, as if they were bodyguards. When they caught sight of Luigi, the Slammers growled, steam pouring out of their ears, and advanced on him. However, Luigi stood his ground and stunned the two ghosts once they were within range, bracing himself against a drawer as he tried to vacuum them up.

He got in only one Surge before the Slammers broke free, and then the Greenies flew out of the car, laughing and chattering to each other as they armed themselves with anything in sight. Luigi wheeled about and stunned the first Greenie he saw, capturing them before a Slammer's hard blow sent him to the floor. He recovered quickly, turned up his music and flashed his Strobulb at the Slammer before they could attack again. Since their HP was already halfway depleted, Luigi could vacuum them up with ease.

The remaining Slammer performed a clapping attack, the resulting shock wave knocking Luigi backwards. He leaned against the car, gasping for breath, before aiming his flashlight at the Slammer and another Greenie, charging the Strobulb and letting the flash erupt. Keeping his lower back flat against the car, Luigi licked his lips and narrowed his eyes as he and the two ghosts tugged back and forth. He held his thumb over the red button, pressing it whenever the Surge meter filled. Finally, the Slammer and the Greenie were subdued, leaving only the two remaining Greenies. After dodging their attacks, Luigi made short work of them, but not before the last Greenie dealt out a punch as a final "[bleep] you".

However, Luigi sensed that he was being watched. He shone his DLD at a desk drawer, uncovering a hidden wheel. After he sucked up the Spirit Balls, a familiar cackle in his ear made him jump up and scream!

A Boo leered at Luigi. "Boo-ha-ha! I'm Boogie Woogie! Hang ten, green-hatted dude!"

Boogie Woogie led Luigi on a quick chase around the garage, the latter eventually cornering them with his DLD and pulling on their tongue to watch them bounce all over the room like a ping-pong ball. When Boogie Woogie came to a rest near the car, Luigi wasted no time getting them into the Poltergust.

He wiped his brow before taking on the ghosts in the mudroom. They consisted of unarmed Greenies, so he could capture them up to four at a time. When he was finished, he peered outside, seeing a small, white ghostly dog prancing about the doghouse. Luigi couldn't help but smile at the sight.

The Dual Scream rang.

"Yello?"

"Fantastic—I'm glad you found and captured that Boo!" said Gadd. "They're very elusive, only coming out when their hiding spot has been found! They may all look the same, but each has their own personality. Try to capture them all!"

"Will do," said Luigi.

"Otherwise, they might regroup, and their power grows when they gather in large numbers."

"You don't have to remind me," said Luigi. "_Ciao_."

In the foyer, Luigi tangled with Greenies wearing sunglasses, Slammers and Hiders concealed in every vase. What followed was two minutes (or five or eight or ninety-nine) of dodging or getting hit by projectiles, getting buffeted by Slammers and sneak-attacked by Greenies as his Strobulb hummed and zapped and his vacuum whirred and Surged. His favorite songs continued to play on shuffle, and he softly hummed along, ghost after ghost finding their way into the Poltergust where they belonged.

"Yeah!" cheered Luigi when he sucked up the last ghost.

"WTF?!" hissed Gadd. "More readings are popping up, Luigi!"

"I'm on it," said Luigi, consulting his map and finding more exclamation points.

The room of interest closest to him was the upstairs lobby, where the horde confronting him was mostly made up of Slammers. Hammy fists swished past his head as he stunned and captured one after the other. When he was finished, he used his DLD to draw out another Boo hiding in a drawer.

"I'm BaBoon!" chortled the Boo. "Let's go boo-nanas!"

"No, thank you," said Luigi, freezing BaBoon in place with the DLD and launching them across the lobby. He had to use the DLD to seek out BaBoon twice more, even burning his hand when he held down the button for too long. Nonetheless, it didn't take long for Luigi to capture BaBoon.

Next, Luigi went to the kitchen, where Greenies armed with pots and pans awaited him, joined by Hiders. A rough battle ensued, but at least it gave him more opportunities to practice dealing with armed Greenies. Something told him that he'd wind up seeing more of them.

After defeating the Greenies and the Hiders, Luigi confronted some Greenies wearing sunglasses in the lab. Leaping clear of their punches, he vacuumed off their sunglasses and captured them in no time flat.

"I did it!" crowed Luigi when he was finished.

"Gah!" he heard Gadd say. "They just keep on coming! Check your map, Luigi!"

Luigi obliged, finding the studio, parlor and study marked with exclamation points. He went to the studio first, where he saw that the easel was hidden. But that was rendered moot when a mix of Greenies, Slammers and Hiders attacked! He battled the Hiders first, since they were such a nuisance, followed by the Slammers, since they hit the hardest, and finally the Greenies. The entire melee left him breathless and aching, and he spent a full minute catching his breath before yanking away the sheet covering the invisible easel.

And when he drew the Spirit Balls from said easel, out popped a third Boo.

"Oopsie, I made a Boo Boo!" cackled the Boo.

Luigi simply launched Boo Boo from one end of the room to the other until their HP was depleted, and then he sent them off to join their comrades.

There were similar groups mulling around in the parlor and study—half of them Slammers and half of them Hiders, with two Greenies bringing up the rear. Luigi went for the Slammers before dealing with the rest, because they were the main muscle, and their attacks hurt like the Inferno.

"All right! Luigi time!" he cried after wrestling the last Greenie into the Poltergust.

"We aren't done yet, Luigi!" cautioned Gadd. "Look alive!"

And so, Gadd and the Dual Scream guided Luigi from room to room, effectively evicting the pesky ghosts from the Gloomy Manor once and for all. The grand finale occurred in the library, starting with a wave of Greenies, followed by a wave of Slammers. Then, a wave of Hiders wanted to play hide-and-seek among the books. Just as Luigi captured the last Hider, he heard a familiar "mimimimimimimi…" echoing throughout the library.

"No f—ing way," Luigi breathed as three Poltergeists materialized, all manner of books beginning to levitate.

As the books went flying every which way, starbursts of white filled the room as Luigi stunned the Poltergeists over and over, vacuuming up as much HP as he could before an incoming projectile hit him. He kept himself braced against bookshelves, doors and even the grand piano, hot sweat dribbling down his face and matting his hair. His green cap was jostled to the side, and he was breathing deeply, unnerved by all these ghosts but still committed to helping Gadd.

Still, he couldn't help but wonder, _How on Earth did these Boos get into Evershade Valley? Did they follow the Professor? Did they…?_

If the Boos were somehow connected to this mess, then it was up to Luigi to protect his mentor.

With an indignant whine, the last Poltergeist was overcome by the Poltergust's suction. This gradual infiltration had come to an end.

The Dual Scream rang. Blinking the sweat from his eyes, Luigi answered it.

"Yello?"

"That'll do, Luigi!" said Gadd. "You weren't exactly quick about it, but you caught them all."

"They made sure it wasn't quick," said Luigi.

"All righty—you can tell me about it once I bring you back."

"_Ciao._" Luigi hung up and did yet another victory dance before he was pixelated back to the Bunker.

**…**

"Glad you made it back safely, Luigi," said Gadd once the man in green was successfully recalled. "There were more ghosts up there than I originally anticipated."

"I was ready for them, though," said Luigi as he emptied the Poltergust.

"Indeed," said Gadd, "and it looks like you've collected enough treasure for your next upgrade! This upgrade is tailored to the DLD, so it won't overheat as quickly."

"Good," said Luigi. "I don't wanna burn my hand in the middle of a ghost hunt."

"Those ghosts were no match for you, youngster," gushed Gadd. "No match at all."

Luigi blushed in response.

"But don't get too confident, son. You can't afford to let your guard down with all these ghosts about."

Gadd set out some more ice and some ointment to treat Luigi's bruises. "I still have no idea what triggered the ghost resurgence," he went on. "The scientific method doesn't exactly apply to paranormal phenomena, you know. That being said, there's no mystery that science can't eventually solve!"

Luigi slid off the Poltergust and handed it to the Professor. "We'll figure it out together," he said softly.

Gadd smiled after the plumber as he took the ice and ointment and headed off to the lounge.

**…**

** "I don't know how, Your Grace, but he's managed to recover the Dark Moon piece hidden in the Gloomy Manor."**

** King Boo smiled. "Don't worry about it," he said. "He's doing exactly what we want him to do."**

** Smirking, he hung up. Everything was going according to plan so far. Luigi would be so busy helping his mentor that he'd be woefully underprepared for the surprise the King had in store for him!**

** Now, he was floating outside a house, watching a red-clad man exercising in his living room. The King had to admit—he had a nice body, but his brother was the more physically fit of the two. Even so, with these two manly men in his clutches, King Boo would be set for life!**

** Hiding among the bushes, King Boo continued to drink in the man as he sweated out whatever he was feeling at the moment. Thirty minutes later, he finished his workout, gulped down his sports drink and strode out of the living room, his skin winking in the moonlight as he disappeared down the hall.**

** Making sure the coast was clear, the King phased through the wall and into the house, inhaling the lingering aroma of the man's sweat. He hadn't planned on coming for him just yet; he initially wanted to save him for last once he'd plunged the world into chaos. But this—this was far better.**

** Listening to the shower running a short distance away, the Master of Illusions silently mused over how genius it was to pay the man a visit now instead of laying low. Nobody would be prepared for it, and with the "quest" for the remaining Dark Moon pieces going on, King Boo had slipped right past his old friend. Now, he was ready to give the man in red a long-overdue present!**

_**Revenge is a dish best served—Boo**_**, he thought as he flattened himself against the wall, waiting for the man to walk out of the shower and into his trap…**

* * *

**Please R&R.**


	11. B-1: A Job for a Plumber

He sagged back against the couch, swiping away the tears worrying at his eyes. Once again, he tried to call Mario, only to get sent to voicemail. Now, he was convinced that something was _really_ wrong.

Scrolling down his list of contacts, Luigi debated calling Peach. Maybe _she_ was in trouble, too, and Mario, in his good-natured way, had gone off to rescue her. Instead, he decided to call Thad, one of the Toad retainers who'd been at the mansion on that fateful night.

"Hi, Luigi!" chirped Thad when he picked up. "What's up?"

"It's Mario," said Luigi. "He's not answering his phone. I've been called away on a little emergency, and I need to tell him what's going on so he won't worry."

"Uh—I've got the same problem, Luigi," sighed Thad. "Chad, Brad, Conrad and I—we've phoned Mario on the hour, and each time, we were booted to voicemail."

"What about Peach?" asked Luigi.

"He called her once, but that was hours ago," Thad replied. "Don't worry—that turtle didn't pay a visit or anything. But we've alerted her of the situation, and she'll have her cell phone on at all times."

"Okay," said Luigi. "Let's not panic. We'll keep trying to reach Mario, and we'll also stay in touch with each other."

"Good idea," said Thad. "All right, talk to you later."

"Bye," said Luigi.

He hung up before listening to some 80s hits to calm his nerves.

A few minutes later, he heard Gadd's voice call to him.

Luigi walked out of the lounge to find the professor seated at the console, the Poltergust across his lap.

"Your upgrade is ready," said Gadd, handing back the ghost vacuum.

"Thanks," said Luigi, smoothly sliding the Poltergust onto his back.

Gadd nodded as he looked Luigi over. "She suits you," he said.

Luigi looked down, blushing.

"Okay, then." The elderly professor cleared his throat and got down to business. "Our quest is taking us to a new location! Aren't you excited?"

"Very," replied Luigi.

"Wonderful," Gadd punched some buttons as he spoke. "My Parascope has located the next piece somewhere in the Haunted Towers. They've been abandoned for some time now, so they're teeming with exotic plants and, naturally, ghosts."

"Oh, brother," said Luigi. "In that case, do you have any bug repellant?"

Gadd tossed him a can.

"Ah—you're a lifesaver," smiled Luigi.

"The towers are in bad shape, and the water system seems to be broken," said Gadd, lowering the fourth monitor. "You see—the Haunted Towers feature a complex hydraulic system that powers all the machinery. Figuring out what's wrong with it is our top priority."

"Hm," said Luigi. "Sounds like a job for a plumber."

"Exactly. The first thing on your to-do list will be to check the Hydro Generator."

Luigi whipped out the Dual Scream as Gadd marked the Hydro Generator's location.

"Got it!" said Luigi.

Gadd swiveled back around. "Commit your task to memory," he said, "and keep an eye out for new types of ghosts. That goes without saying." He chuckled, and Luigi made a face.

"Good luck, my boy!" On those words, Gadd sent Luigi off to the Haunted Towers.

**…**

As Gadd had said, the Haunted Towers were two broken-down buildings practically shrouded with shrubbery, a large tree growing between them. Crows cawed as they nestled among the branches, paying no mind as a nearby camera spat out a stream of pixels which reformed into Luigi.

He landed in the soft grass, inhaling the earthy scent of plants and vegetation. Unfortunately, the air was also a little chilly. When he returned from this excursion, he needed to ask Gadd if he could go back to grab his jacket.

Luigi hopped up and flashed the Strobulb at some flowers, two of them spitting out dollar bills and one of them spitting out a key. Also, he knocked down some gold bars from a nearby tree. Peeking through a window, he saw a Slammer in front of the still and silent Hydro Generator, appearing to try and get it to function.

_Maybe instead of attacking me, I can get that Slammer to help me,_ thought Luigi. _Hmph. Fat chance!_

He unlocked the gate and strode into the courtyard, where he collected some more dollar bills from one of those flowers before entering the room where the Hydro Generator was located.

The Slammer was still there, inspecting the machine.

"Uh—hello?" called Luigi.

The Slammer turned and looked at the plumber.

"I see you're trying to fix that Hydro Generator," said Luigi. "Maybe I can help."

The Slammer gave Luigi the beginnings of a smile before floating up and away.

But when Luigi studied the Hydro Generator, he found that nothing was broken or out of place. He guessed that maybe it was old, just like the rest of the building.

Then, he fished a key out of a barrel and used the DLD to uncover a hidden drawer. And inside that drawer was—

"A one, and a two, and we all love MamBoo! Except for you!"

Luigi jumped back, and then recovered his composure and shone the DLD on MamBoo. Then, he pulled hard on their tongue, launching them all over the Hydro Generator's room. This Boo had five more HP than the previous Boos he'd encountered, but he was still able to capture them the usual way after rendering them dazed and dizzy.

The Dual Scream rang.

"Yello?"

"Hmm—just as I feared," said Gadd. "The Hydro Generator seems to be in good condition, so the water pump must be clogged. Why don't you check the water supply on the roof?"

"A clog, huh?" asked Luigi. "Well, I've dealt with clogs for most of my life. It shouldn't be hard for me to fix this dilemma. _Ciao_."

He hung up and went back out into the courtyard, where he vacuumed up some dirt and pulled down a leaf obscuring a door. The key he had unlocked that door, and he stepped through into the tower lobby. It smelled a bit musty, and frogs croaked and hopped around him as he vacuumed up some coins and found a golden bone. Then, he unveiled a hidden door with the DLD, which opened into a greenhouse.

It was dark in the greenhouse, and Luigi could hear the ghosts laughing as he cautiously looked around. He was startled off his feet as shelves and pots fell over, and when those pink gates slammed down, he whirled and found himself face-to-face with a Greenie who brandished a shovel!

_Just my luck._

The Greenie held the shovel in front of their face, and when they pulled it back to strike, Luigi stunned them. After some struggle, he vacuumed them up, along with two more Greenies bearing shovels. He took several blows to the jaw and stomach, but at least he could now proceed to the other side of the greenhouse, which led to the other side of the tower lobby.

Under the stairs, Luigi picked up a gemstone—an emerald this time. Then, he used the vacuum to turn a nearby valve, which dropped down a few of those health-replenishing hearts. After stunning a few golden bats, he headed up the stairs and into a plant nursery.

Two Venus flytrap-like plants hissed at Luigi when he entered, one of them coiling like a snake before snapping its jaws at him! He cartwheeled behind a table for cover and saw a couple of spiky fruits growing in a flowerpot. Sucking one spiky fruit onto the nozzle, he crept out of hiding and launched the fruit into one Flytrap's mouth. It—seemed to enjoy the fruit; in fact, one could say that it thought that this strange snack was _to die for_. Luigi took care of the remaining Flytrap in the same way, and after both plants withered away, he found a chest containing another key.

His music on low, Luigi continued on his way, narrowly avoiding a carpet trap and racing across a skybridge. At that skybridge, crows swarmed around him, some of them hitting him and pushing him back a short distance. Fortunately, he made it to the other side of the skybridge, unlocking the door to some laboratories.

The Slammer he'd encountered earlier turned and glared at him before going on the attack. Luigi stunned them in their tracks, vacuuming them up after one good Surge. Then, he took on several Greenies, one of them armed with a shovel, followed by two more Slammers. He wound up nailed a few times in the abdomen before winning the battle, sitting down to rest for a few moments.

He noticed a few weeds across from him and used his vacuum to pull them, earning him some gold coins. When he walked to the other end of the room, a wooden gate closed behind him, trapping him.

"What the…?" he balked.

Then, Luigi saw the flower on the wall in front of him and touched it with an index finger. This flower had a gum-like texture and was shaped like a bulb. Gently, he sucked the flower into the nozzle and used the exhaust function to blow air into it.

Perfect—he made himself a balloon!

Using this "balloon", Luigi floated his way to the next floor, making sure to avoid anything sharp along the way. He succeeded after three tries, even picking up a second emerald. From there, he pushed through a door and headed up the stairs to the water supply room.

Near the machine, some mucus-colored slime dripped into a bucket. Luigi had never seen a clog like _that_ before. But as he approached it, the bucket lifted into the air and turned over, spilling its contents and revealing a Greenie as the culprit.

Once the Greenie lifted the bucket from their head, Luigi sprang into action, stunning and capturing them in under a minute. Then, he looked over the machine controlling the water supply and saw two green switches under it. It probably needed an equilibrium.

"All right, then," said Luigi, picking up the bucket and filling it with slime before setting it onto one of the switches.

When he stood on the other switch, four green panels revealed themselves. Taking perfect aim, Luigi held down the Strobulb before releasing a powerful flash, activating the machine.

At once, water began rushing and gurgling through the pipes, the Haunted Towers whirring back to life as their hydraulic system came back online. Luigi glanced over and saw some Greenies happily splashing around in the water, and a small smile crossed his lips.

The Dual Scream went off, breaking the moment.

"Yello?"

"Fantastic job, youngster!" gushed Gadd. "The water flow is slowly normalizing!"

"I think the resident ghosts missed the water flow, too," said Luigi. "I spotted a few of them playing in it."

Gadd chuckled. "I'll pixelate you out of there in just a minute," he said.

"Take your time," said Luigi. "_Ciao_."

He hung up and was celebrating his accomplishment when the heard a loud THUMP!

"Wha…?!" Luigi glanced up and saw something huge banging around in one of the pipes. Was that the clog, finally being forced out by the water flow? Ew!

A huge blob of that mucus-colored slime forced its way out of the end of the pipe—which dropped down to reveal a huge, mucus-colored ghost which hawked up yellow gunk to spit at Luigi! Mega ew!

Dodging the slimy gunk, Luigi ran at the huge ghost and stunned them with the Strobulb. While being vacuumed, this ghost was still able to spit that gunk at him, so he had to constantly jump and lean out of the way. By the time this gross ghost was defeated, there was gunk all over Luigi's face, hair, clothes—even his cap and mustache!

"That has to be the nastiest ghost I've ever seen!" spluttered Luigi.

The Dual Scream rang.

"Yello?"

"Good job dealing with that rather rotund ghost!" Gadd told him.

"Thanks," said Luigi. "Listen—I need a shower. That Gobber has me completely covered in gunk!"

"Gobber?"

"Yeah. That's what I decided to call that ghost."

"O—kay. I'm bringing you back. Hold on to your hat!"

"_Ciao_."

Being coated in gunk didn't stop Luigi from doing a victory dance before Gadd recalled him to the Bunker.

**…**

"Great job, Luigi!" said Gadd. "Let's see that new ghost."

Blinking the gunk out of his eyes, Luigi emptied the Poltergust before sliding it off. Gadd generously directed him toward the showers.

One warm shower and a change of clothes later, Luigi rejoined Gadd.

"I've never seen that kind of ghost before," mused Gadd.

"Neither have I," said Luigi.

"Anyway, good job restoring the water flow. If this whole ghost-hunting thing doesn't work out, then maybe you have a future as a—oh. You _are_ a plumber, aren't you?"

"Yeah," said Luigi, a look of concern crossing his features. How could the professor have forgotten?

"But—maybe if I get laid off, I'll have a future as a full-time ghost-hunter," Luigi went on.

"Now _that_ would be nice," said Gadd. "You'll be happy to know, however, that the Haunted Towers' water system is now almost completely functional. I also have news regarding the Dark Moon piece."

"You found out where it's hiding?"

"I did," said Gadd, "but why don't you take a break first?"

"Yeah, I guess I should. That Gobber still has me grossed out."

Luigi walked over to the lounge and plunked himself onto the sofa. Maybe he could eat some more snacks once his stomach settled.

**…**

**From the second he walked into his living room and was jumped, he never stopped fighting for even a moment. He wasn't going to face this fate—not again, and certainly not tonight. Unfortunately for him, his strength eventually fell to twelve years' worth of pent-up fury, the King enjoying himself immensely as he beat his target into submission before calling a few of his minions into the room, who gleefully joined in his assault. He knew he could really enjoy his revenge, since it would be a while before the populace realized that their **_**local celebrity**_** was in danger.**

** The man in question lay there on his living room floor, seeing everything through a haze of blood and feeling each drop of the pain King Boo and his minions inflicted on him. They wanted to hear him scream and beg, but he refused to give them that privilege, which only made the King even angrier. By the time he was sated, slashes, gashes and bite marks scored the man's body, along with massive bruising and swelling. His nose was broken, one eye was swelling up with the other on the way and both lips were split. King Boo tenderly licked away all of the blood before his minions dragged the man in front of a special canvas. His bejeweled crown began to ominously glow and crackle with energy, and he gave his target just enough time to know what was about to befall him before sending the bolt of dark magic his way…**

* * *

**Please R&R.**


	12. B-2: The Pinwheel Gate

Once the memory of the Gobber had sufficiently receded, hunger set in, just as he'd predicted. Luigi helped himself to some fresh snacks before sending Mario another voicemail. Just as he finished recording the message, he received an incoming text notification. It was from Thad.

_Still no word yet on Mario_, read the text. _Sorry._

_That's okay, _Luigi texted back. _Keep me posted._

He put his phone away and bit his lip. "I just want him to know where I am…" he murmured.

"What's that, youngster?"

Luigi turned. Gadd stood in the room, his head cocked curiously.

"Just—some private stuff," he said, but Gadd knew better.

"Your brother," said the professor. "You think something's happened to him."

Luigi nodded.

"I know you two as well as anyone else," said Gadd. "I was present the first time you saved him, after all. He hasn't returned your calls, huh?"

"No, and for the life of me…"

"Well—maybe he got roped into something, and he was given no time to alert you," suggested Gadd.

"Yeah, that's a sure bet," said Luigi, "but what if he _didn't_ get roped into anything, he's in _actual_ trouble, and I'm stuck here doing—well, you know?"

"C'mon, Luigi, don't be like that," said Gadd. "I'm getting old. I can't work out in the field like I used to. And while I haven't quite lost my thirst for adventure—I have a feeling about you. Tonight, I think you're gonna do something awesome. Something which will propel you out of Mario's shadow once and for all."

Luigi relaxed. "Well, it _is_ my year," he said.

"And it's about high time you had one," smiled Gadd.

"I hope I didn't offend you, Professor."

"Nah, you didn't."

"Really?"

"I get it, all right? You're worried about your brother, as is your prerogative." Gadd's eyes twinkled. "I'm positive that Mario or someone associated with him will get in touch with you. Not only that, but also they'll be happy to know that you're out here helping me."

"And having my own adventure," murmured Luigi.

"Exactly," said Gadd.

The two of them walked out of the lounge, and then Gadd updated Luigi on the current situation.

"The Parascope was having a heck of a time trying to pinpoint the Dark Moon piece's location, but then it hit me—I can analyze the Dark Moon pieces we already have to improve the precision!"

"That's interesting," said Luigi.

"So, after a little tinkering, the Parascope produced better results," said Gadd. "Remember that gigantic tree? The Dark Moon piece seems to be somewhere up there! The tricky part, however, is getting there."

"Any bright ideas?" asked Luigi.

"You'll need to cross the newly-raised bridge and explore the interior of the Hollow Tree to find a way up," Gadd told him, mapping the location on the Dual Scream.

"All right," said Luigi.

"And of course, look out for communications from your friends," said Gadd. "They should have some clue regarding what your brother's up to,"

"Okeydokey," said Luigi.

He sprayed on some bug repellant and grabbed a first-aid kit before Gadd sent him on his way.

**…**

The good news was that Luigi landed on his feet. The bad news was that one foot landed in a bucket full of cold water. After kicking the bucket off of him, he noticed a pipe with water gushing out of it, along with several recently-sprouted plants.

_Why not?_

Luigi took the bucket, filled it with water and doused the sprouts, which grew into those flowers which spat out dollar bills when he flashed them with the Strobulb. He found more plants to water in the courtyard before striding up to the pinwheel gate and blowing on it with the vacuum.

The pinwheel gate started to spin, but just as it was opening, a Hider popped out of the middle, making him spring backwards and land on his rump. The Hider laughed at him before summoning four more Hiders. Each of them took a pinwheel vane and flew off, the last one flipping Luigi off for good measure.

Luigi got to his feet. "Well, [bleep] you, too!" he yelled after the Hiders.

The Dual Scream rang.

"Yello?"

"Dear God! Not again!" sighed Gadd.

"Yeah—I knew this wasn't gonna be easy," groaned Luigi.

"That pinwheel gate won't open without its vanes," said Gadd. "Did you see where those skinny ghosts went?"

"Yep. I saw them head toward the Hydro Generator," said Luigi. "I don't know whether they split up or not, though."

"Don't sweat it—I'll use the Parascope to find them! Hold on a sec—found them! Check your map."

Luigi did so. "_Ciao_," he said before hanging up and setting off to find the vanes.

In the Hydro Generator's room, there was a door with a green panel beside it. Luigi flashed that panel to access the east hall. There, he found the Hiders, who hightailed it out of there through different doors. After snagging some treasure, including a golden bone, and uncovering a hidden door, Luigi decided to search a gardener's dwelling.

One of the Hiders was in a cupboard, but they escaped through the floor before Luigi could act. The man in green uncovered a secret passageway by spinning a ceiling fan, making the bed disappear into a wall. Using a bucket for some extra weight, Luigi descended into the gardener's lab below.

Two Greenies wearing sunglasses were tending to a Flytrap when Luigi arrived. After pulling off their sunglasses, he stunned them both at once before vacuuming away, trying to avoid the snapping Flytrap as he did. Then, he inspected a drawer, causing the first Hider to pop out. Luigi stunned and captured them, as well, collecting the first vane when the battle finished.

"Yeah!" he cheered.

He started to leave, only to sense he was being watched. Wading through some shallow water into a Sewer, he pulled away a hanging plant to reveal a Boo!

"Am I Boolean?" asked the Boo. "True or false?"

It took less than a minute for Luigi to deplete Boolean's HP and suck them into the Poltergust. Then, he used those bulb-like flowers to float back up into the gardener's dwelling and continue his search.

After consulting his map, Luigi headed over to a toolshed, where he surprised and captured a Slammer. After the Slammer came two Greenies armed with shovels, which gave him a slightly tougher fight. And after _that_, Luigi searched the toolshed until he found the second Hider, vacuuming them up and claiming the second vane.

He pushed through the back door and found himself in a garden. A third Hider laughed at him, teasingly waving the third vane, before disappearing. The grass was rather thick, but luckily, there was a lawn mower nearby. Luigi activated it by pulling on a cord with his vacuum, a few coins popping up as the machine worked its magic and trimmed the grass. He jumped as those gates slammed down, spinning around to face two Greenies in welding masks and a Gobber.

Luigi streamed out a breath, slid behind a bush and stunned the two Greenies. After subduing them, he took on the Gobber. The giant, disgusting ghost used their weight to drag him this way and that, lobbed those balls of gunk at him and even rammed into him from time to time. And if the gunk missed him, then he had to be careful not to step in it, lest he slip and fall. Following that exhausting struggle, he heard one of the vases rattling and jostled it, forcing the Hider out. At long glorious last, the Hider was captured, and Luigi claimed the third vane.

He pulled some weeds and watered some plants, one of them revealing an emerald, and then threw some water onto his face before heading back inside the toolshed. Curiously, he stared at a small fountain, which sprayed more water at him before the entire wall flipped. It was another secret passageway!

In this room, there was a stack of dollar bills on a desk and a flight of stairs lit by torches of blue fire. Luigi noticed that the stairs were moving up and down, and he had to match his ascent up the staircase with the stairs' movements. At the top of the stairs, he easily captured a Greenie, and then the staircase returned to normal, the torches burning with an orange flame.

Luigi shook his head to himself and entered a botany lab, where he saw a tiny sprout in a shattered glass case. To the case's left was a contraption similar to the water supply machine. Standing in front of the contraption, he aimed his Strobulb at it and flashed, only for the water to trickle uselessly a foot or so away from the sprout. Frowning, he tried twice more, with the same result. When he looked up, he saw the problem.

Part of the contraption's pipe was missing!

It wasn't hard for Luigi to uncover it with the DLD and vacuum up the Spirit Balls. After that, he activated the contraption, the water flowing directly toward the sprout this time. As the sprout grew, it broke the last of the glass, forming into a leafy staircase.

"Whoa," gasped Luigi.

After watering a plant and earning an emerald, he climbed up the leafy staircase and into a seedling laboratory, where he saw some Greenies fussing over the seedlings. One of those Greenies wore a welding mask, and the other wore sunglasses.

Luigi managed to sneak up on the Greenies, pulling away the first one's welding mask before a punch from the second one sent him stumbling forward. He shook off the momentary pain before capturing the first Greenie. The second Greenie tried to run for it, but Luigi caught up quickly, yanked away the sunglasses, and captured them, as well. Finally, he uncovered a fourth Hider in a drawer, defeating them and emerging with the fourth vane in hand.

"One more to go," murmured Luigi.

Before he left the seedling laboratory, he saw a mouse scurrying about with an emerald attached to their tail. He tiptoed over, plucked the emerald free and then jogged up another flight of stairs into a conservatory, giving a small yelp at what he saw in there.

A Slammer was playing the organ—rather badly—while a fifth Hider occasionally popped out of the organ's pipes. The Hider spotted Luigi and chattered something to the Slammer, who turned around and cracked their knuckles, advancing on the plumber.

Luigi stunned the Slammer, who was joined by two more Slammers. The three brutes punched, dragged and even flung the long-suffering man all over the conservatory as he tried to suck them up. It was five minutes before he managed to capture the last Slammer. At least, it _felt_ like five minutes. It could've been less, and it could've been more.

Gasping for breath, Luigi went over to the organ and played a few notes. He saw the Hider emerge from one of the centermost organ pipes and practically pounced on them with the Strobulb. One short tug-of-war later, the Hider was captured and the fifth and final vane was recovered!

"Oh, yeah! I did it!" cried Luigi.

He answered an incoming call from the Dual Scream. "Yello?"

"Good job, Luigi! That was the last vane for the pinwheel gate," said Gadd.

"Thanks for telling me that, Captain Obvious," said Luigi. "Those Hiders didn't make it easy, let me tell you. They always had other ghosts helping them."

"The good thing is that you didn't give up," Gadd told them. "I'll bring you back here so we can figure out how to reinstall those vanes."

"Sounds like a plan," said Luigi. "_Ciao_."

He wound his hips in celebration before Gadd pixelated him away.

**…**

"Good job scaring those ghosts out of their hiding spots!" said Gadd.

"Thanks," said Luigi as he emptied the Poltergust.

"We'd be in a real pickle it we'd lost those pinwheel vanes," Gadd went on. "I'm sure I have something in my toolbox that we can use to put them back in place." He sighed. "I'll tell you—you really have a knack for stirring up trouble, youngster."

Luigi frowned. "What do you mean by that?"

"You haven't even reached the Hollow Tree, and the ghosts are already giving you a hard time!" chuckled Gadd.

"I guess they enjoy making things difficult for me," said Luigi, "or maybe they don't want me to reach the Hollow Tree."

Gadd rested a hand on Luigi's shoulder. "Stay strong, my boy," he said. "We'll have that Dark Moon back in the sky before you know it."

"I hope so, Professor," said Luigi. "I sure hope so…"

**…**

**He'd spent the entire trip back to Evershade Valley with his prize—a monochrome portrait of the man in red. But it wasn't any old monochrome portrait—it was ****_the_**** man in red, stuck in a monochrome portrait. What the King liked most about this portrait was the look in the man's eyes, the moment when he realized what his attacker had in mind and that he was powerless to stop it.**

**King Boo held the imprisoned man close, whispering to him, caressing him and licking him with his long tongue. He was a little bummed out that the man couldn't react like last time, but he had to play the hand he was dealt. Besides, although the man couldn't move and emote in his artistic prison, he could still ****_feel_****—a fact that the King and his minions couldn't wait to take advantage of.**

**"We'll chat some more later, okay?" he said softly, pressing his nose to the canvas and inhaling deeply before giving the man one last lick. Then, he delicately placed the portrait into the burlap sack two of his brethren held out to him.**

**"Take care of him," he entreated.**

**"Yes, Your Grace," chorused the two Boos.**

**King Boo watched wistfully as the Boos flew off with his prize. Then, a wide smile stretched across his face.**

**The next phase of his plan was about to begin.**

* * *

**Please R&R.**


	13. B-3: Graveyard Shift

He was half-asleep when his cell phone buzzed.

"Hello?" he mumbled.

"Hey, Luigi—it's Brad."

"Hey, Brad," greeted Luigi. "I assume you heard the news?"

"Yeah, and everyone's getting antsy. A threat to Mario is a threat to us, after all."

"Did you have any luck?"

"Unfortunately not, but we just want you to know—we'll be working our [bleeps] off around the clock to find your brother," Brad assured him. "Don't you worry."

"Thanks," said Luigi. "I should be finished helping the Professor before long. If not—leave a message, and I'll call back when possible."

"Done. Be careful, Luigi! I believe in you!"

"Thanks, Brad," said Luigi before ending the call.

He stood, stretched and rejoined the professor.

"All right, Luigi," said Gadd. "Got those pinwheel vanes with you?"

"I have them right here," said Luigi, removing the vanes from his pocket and handing them to Gadd.

Gadd looked them over, and then he pulled out a wrench. "Take this," he said, "and use it to attach these vanes back to the gate."

Luigi took the wrench, twirled it, and then slipped it into his pockets along with the vanes.

"Remember—lefty loosey, righty tighty."

"Okeydokey," said Luigi.

"Once you open the gate, enter the Hollow Tree and look for a way up," said Gadd, marking the location on the Dual Scream. "I get the feeling that the Dark Moon piece is somewhere near the top."

"And if that's the case, then there could be ghosts guarding it," said Luigi. "That grouchy Possessor was certainly unwilling to let the piece he was holding go."

"I'd count on it," said Gadd. "Okay—I'll be comfortably monitoring your progress from here. You know, as usual. Anyway—good luck, kiddo!"

"Thanks," said Luigi, bracing himself as Gadd activated the Pixelator.

**…**

He landed at the Haunted Towers' entrance, only for a Flytrap to snap in his face! Yelping, he jumped out of the way and scanned his surroundings, looking for one of those spiked fruits. At the moment, there were none. However, he _did_ find a bucket, a sprout and some running water.

Moving quickly, Luigi picked up the bucket, filled it with water and used it to douse the sprout. He smiled when the sprout grew into a spiked fruit, and then he launched it into the Flytrap's maw, subduing it. With that threat removed, he doused some more plants, which grew into those dollar bill-dispensing flowers. Finally, he proceeded into the courtyard and toward the pinwheel gate.

Unfortunately, a Greenie and a Slammer hovered in front of that gate, the former encouraging the latter to pull off the last vane. The Slammer yanked on that vane with all their strength, but it just wouldn't budge. Meanwhile, the Greenie watched in amusement, only for their eyes to dart to Luigi. Eyes widening, the Greenie made a break for it, leaving the Slammer still tugging on the vane.

Brandishing the Poltergust, Luigi confronted the Slammer, only for two more Slammers to burst out of the ground with flowerpots on their heads. He battled the Slammer messing with the gate first, and then he turned his attention on the other two Slammers. Their clapping and shockwave attacks could slam him hard against the front gate, but he hung in there, nailing both of them at once with a lucky Strobulb flash and capturing them after a protracted struggle. The Greenie reappeared, only to be unceremoniously vacuumed up, as well.

After making a quick stop in the tower lobby to uncover a hidden pipe, a Golden Bone and an emerald, Luigi strode up to the pinwheel gate, where he pulled out the vanes and studied them.

"Okay—I can do this," he said softly. Carefully, he inserted each vane into its proper slot before tightening the pinwheel with a few quick, crisp turns of the wrench. In no time flat, the pinwheel was successfully repaired.

"I did it!" he laughed when he was finished. Blowing on the pinwheel to open the gate, he added, "Now, for the hard part…"

He approached the Hollow Tree and knocked on the door, which slid open to allow passage. Inside the tree, there was a short flight of stairs on each side of him, both lit by torches bearing blue fire. Between them was a lake of sorts, and beyond that lake was a door blocked by spiderwebs.

The only direction he could go at the moment was up. So he did.

Luigi soon discovered that one of the staircases was false. If he tried to walk up a false staircase, he'd be sent sliding back down with a Greenie to fight. He had to play this guessing game twice more before reaching the Hollow Tree's upper level. There, he found another passageway, also blocked by a spiderweb. Luckily, there was also a loose web cord, with a torch next to it, allowing him to burn away the web.

"All right," said Luigi. "Time to find the Dark Moon."

Just as he was about to step through, however, the passageway was sealed shut, and Luigi heard a low rumble as a few web balls toppled out of the sky. He also thought he heard—laughter.

"What in the Inferno?!"

The Dual Scream rang.

"Yello?"

"My God!" Gadd's face was pale. "Where'd that creepy-looking door come from?"

Luigi shrugged. "One thing's for sure—it almost ate me," he said.

"That passageway is the only way up to the treetop," Gadd explained. "Hold on just a sec—bingo! I found something in the Haunted Towers' records!"

"What is it?"

"There's a special key that opens that door, but it's hidden in the crypt," said Gadd. "I hope you're not scared of graveyards, Luigi. It's not like they're full of vengeful spirits or anything." He chuckled.

Luigi rolled his eyes. "Relentless man—oh, you're a relentless man," he said.

Gadd chuckled again. "All right, Luigi—I'll leave you to your search."

"_Ciao_."

Luigi put the Dual Scream away and sighed. He wasn't going to enjoy poking around in a graveyard. Not after what happened twelve years ago…

He snapped himself out of it. The sooner he found this special key, the better. Luigi turned around to find a dry web cord dangling over the rail and attached it to the nozzle. With those stairs out of commission, he'd have to rappel back down to the lower level.

Luigi's heart stood still as he glanced over the railing, studying the fairly steep drop. Then, he took a deep breath, swung both legs over and prepared to jump.

"Tallyho," he murmured, his heart doing about a thousand as he let himself fall.

He whooped and hollered the entire way down, the web cord pulling taut when he was only a few inches over the pond and then acting like a bungee cord. Luigi could easily swing himself to dry land and then disengage the nozzle from the web. He sighed in relief that he'd emerged uninjured before examining the web balls strewn in the water.

He waded in, took one of the web balls and then ignited it before wading toward the web obstructing the wooden door. Not only did he have to keep the burning web ball above water, he also had to watch out for underwater obstacles. He'd seen enough of those old public information films about that particular subject on YouTube to be aware of the consequences. Fortunately, the water was shallow enough, only waist deep. But he wasn't about to take any chances.

After burning away the web, Luigi took another web ball and burned away another web, taking some golden spiders along with it and recovering a bucket. Using this bucket, he watered a plant, earning him another emerald. Then, he walked through the wooden door and into the tree root.

A strong, earthy smell was prevalent in his nostrils as the soles of his boots smacked against the moist ground. Trudging along, he pulled down curtains of moss and green, knotted stems to reveal some sort of elevator which took him up—and into a graveyard.

Luigi was deposited outside of a crow's head statue, and he quickly got to his feet. He wasn't shivering only because it was chilly. As he ventured through this haunted-looking graveyard, pulling weeds and stunning spiders, he remembered his encounter with the creature named Bogmire.

Bogmire, also known as Elh, was the product of that mansion's fear and despair. Fighting him had been both physically and emotionally taxing. If he wasn't slashing at Luigi with his scythe-like arms, then his shadows were grabbing at him, trying to smother him with their negativity. And before that fight, the Boos had played a cruel trick on him. Tears sprang to his eyes as he recalled the glowing headstone with Mario's name on it, and the way the Boos had taunted him by writing messages on that headstone. But they'd slipped up, allowing him to realize that it was only an illusion and that Mario was still alive. Imagine if they hadn't, though…

Thank God there wasn't a Bogmire, or Elh, or _whatever_, to fight in this graveyard. After collecting a few dollar bills and an emerald, Luigi walked up the stairs and into a crypt. A knotted stem dangled from a brick wall, and when he yanked on the stem, it caused the brick wall to crumble. Following one strong yank, the brick wall collapsed, Luigi jumping clear of the falling debris.

When he looked up, he immediately wished he hadn't.

"Oh. My. God," he said.

Hanging there on the wall was a painting of a Toad, his arms outstretched and his mouth open in a scream. Luigi swallowed back some bile as he remembered the sight of Mario in that altar, his fists pounding against the barrier of his prison as his voice screamed out, calling to his baby bro. The bruises, the cuts, the slashes, the bite marks. The sweat, the disheveled hair and the dilated pupils. This scene made a frequent appearance whenever his dreams morphed into nightmares.

But this Toad was in a far worse situation. He couldn't move, scream or call for help. All he could do was wait for someone to stumble across him. And luckily, someone had.

"How do I…?" Luigi started to ask before remembering his DLD.

He started to shine the DLD on the painting, only to notice a vase out of the corner of his eye. After he sucked up the Spirit Balls, he touched the vase, causing a Boo to pop out.

"I'm Booluga!" greeted the Boo. "I used to be covered in blubber, but then I went on a die-it!"

"Well, good for you," muttered Luigi before dealing with Booluga in his usual way.

Turning back to the imprisoned Toad, Luigi once again focused the DLD on the portrait. The Toad became colorized as he was drawn out of his prison, landing on the floor with a tiny squeak.

"Hey there," said Luigi as the Toad hopped to his feet. "Are you hurt?"

The Toad laughed and jumped for joy. "Finally! I'm free!" he cried. "Thank you so much!"

Then, the Toad cocked his head. "Wait—Luigi? What are you doing here? Where's M…?"

"I honestly don't know," Luigi replied.

"Aww, it doesn't matter!" the Toad chirped happily. "You're my hero!"

He hugged Luigi, and Luigi hugged him back.

"My name's Fred," said the Toad. "It's very nice to meet you."

"Same here," said Luigi. "Do you know who did this to you?"

Fred bit his lip. "Some Boos surprised me, and then…" He spread his hands. "The fact of the matter is…you found me! Yippee!"

"Boos? Did they hurt you?"

"Eh—I'm just bruised up," Fred replied. "I'll live."

"What brings you to Evershade Valley?" asked Luigi.

"I'm one of Professor Gadd's assistants," explained Fred.

"He—never mentioned any assistants," frowned Luigi.

"Yeah, he's—getting a little up there in age," said Fred, "but we'll talk about that later. Let's get out of here."

"Fred, you read my mind," said Luigi.

Just as they turned to leave, the Dual Scream rang.

"Yello?"

"No sign of the special key?" asked Gadd. "Those ghosts are really starting to ruffle my feath…" He trailed off when he saw Fred. "J—s! Is that Fred?"

"Yeah," said Luigi. "I found him imprisoned in a portrait."

"How did he get trapped in the first place?" Gadd wanted to know.

"Boos," shuddered Luigi. "Why didn't you tell me about him?"

"Dear God! Fred—I am _so_ sorry! When the Dark Moon shattered, I must've panicked and forgotten about you! Thank goodness you're alive!"

"Believe me, Professor—these Boos won't bring me down for long," laughed Fred.

"We need to get you back to the Bunker," said Gadd. "Do you know where that special key is located?"

"Yeah. I managed to snap a security image and hold off those Boos awhile."

"Great. Now, I can't pixelate you both out of there, but—there's a Pixelator Screen in the gardener's lab. Luigi, I'm counting on you to lead him there safely."

"Don't worry, Professor," said Luigi. "These ghosts won't harm Fred on _my_ watch!"

"The screen is an old prototype, but it should do the trick," said Gadd. "I'll see you two soon."

"_Ciao_." Luigi hung up and turned to Fred. "Let's get a move on."

They walked out of the crypt and set off into the graveyard. But just as they reached the first group of headstones, a ghostly arm reached up out of the soil!

Luigi and Fred whirled around as a light pink, rotund female ghost pulled herself out of the soil, clutching a mirror in her hand. Behind them, a thin, aqua ghost also emerged from the soil, followed by a small, gold ghost.

Fred gasped. "T—the," he stammered. "The Three Sisters!"

"Friends of yours?" asked Luigi.

"The Professor and I met them when we arrived in the valley back in 2011," Fred explained. "The large one is Herlinda, the thin one is Belinda and the small one is Lucinda, though she also answers to 'Melinda'. She's the youngest, by the way, and as you can tell by their mirrors, they're pretty vain."

"Uh—thanks for the info," said Luigi as the Three Sisters floated around them.

The ghostly trio then zeroed in on Luigi, sizing him up and beginning to flirt with him. Belinda even blew him a kiss. The man in green didn't know what to think of this behavior, but one thing he _did_ know—he had to protect his charge.

Luigi spoke calmly and in a low voice as the Three Sisters ogled and flirted away. "Fred. Get behind me."

Fred obeyed. "Kick some ghost butt, Luigi!" he cried.

"I can't do anything as long as they have their mirrors," said Luigi. "I need to wait until they either lower them, or…"

He was cut off as the Three Sisters giggled, circling the duo with their mirrors in front of their faces. Luigi watched them carefully, waiting for an opening.

Herlinda was the first sister to drop her guard, lowering her mirror to make a seductive face at Luigi. Luigi, on the other hand, acted fast, charging his Strobulb and releasing a powerful flash, freezing Herlinda in her tracks. Belinda and Lucinda chattered angrily as the man in green started vacuuming their sister up.

Suddenly, he felt something grab his waist and glanced over his shoulder to see Fred, his tiny arms wrapped around his hips as he helped his rescuer and bodyguard pull back against Herlinda.

"I got you," smiled Fred.

"I got you first," said Luigi.

Fred's eyes suddenly widened. "Look out!"

Lucinda and Belinda, trying to help their imperiled sibling, made a dive for Luigi, mirrors held threateningly high.

Luigi cursed, dodging the duo's swings while shielding Fred with his body, all the while keeping Herlinda in the suction. The large ghost dragged him all over the graveyard, with Fred clinging to him like a life preserver as he helped in any way he could. He'd managed to get in two good Surges when Belinda bashed him hard in the face with her mirror. Luigi yelled out in pain as he let go, allowing Herlinda to break free.

"Oh, my God!" shouted Fred.

Luigi recovered himself. "I'm okay," he said soothingly. He was barely aware of his face throbbing, focusing all of his energy on keeping Fred safe.

The Three Sisters were back to their flirty manner as they circled Luigi and Fred. The former licked his lips, his nerves poised for the slightest slip-up. This time, it was Belinda who drew the short straw, a little payback for attacking him with her mirror. Lucinda and Herlinda raced to her rescue, swiping at Luigi with their mirrors as he dodged, leaned and jumped out of range. It didn't take long for the man in green to break a sweat—something that the Three Sisters didn't fail to notice.

Herlinda swung her mirror in a low arc, whacking Luigi in the side. The breath was driven from him, and he doubled over, losing his grip on Belinda in the process. He could hear the Three Sister laughing softly, Fred urging him to fight on. The man in green decided to listen to Fred, straightening and stunning Belinda again as she lowered her mirror, this time vacuuming her up. Now, only Lucinda and Herlinda remained.

A singular lock of hair was now stuck to Luigi's forehead. That, along with his flushed cheeks and heaving chest, made him quite a sight for the ghostly sisters. The duo circled the man in green as before, marveling at him, until little Lucinda got distracted and exposed herself to the Strobulb. She had the least HP out of the three, but with Herlinda trying to clobber Luigi, it was still a difficult scuffle. Regardless, he managed to dodge Herlinda's mirror and capture Lucinda with four Surges.

Herlinda, with the most HP, was the most difficult fight yet, and the blows from her mirror could literally send him spinning. Her increasingly aggressive approach only served to drag out the affair and frustrate her opponent. Winded and in pain, Luigi turned to face Fred.

"Find somewhere to hide," he commanded, and Fred obliged without question, leaping behind a gravestone for cover and watching Luigi battle Herlinda.

"You can do it, Luigi!" cheered Fred.

As Herlinda brought her mirror crashing down, Luigi sidestepped and hit his foe with a powerful Strobulb flash, bracing against another headstone and breathing in measured beats as he vacuumed her up. It took several more tries and getting nailed in the shoulder and solar plexus, but he finally defeated Herlinda, sucking her into the Poltergust as Fred whooped with glee.

Luigi could faintly hear the Dual Scream's ringtone over the blood pounding in his eardrums.

"Yello?"

"As I live and breathe! Those were the ghosts of the Three Sisters!" breathed Gadd. "They're regular paranormal celebrities!"

"Yeah—Fred told me a little about them."

"The Parascope was going bonkers for a minute there, but it's back to normal now," Gadd continued. "The Sisters are normally very polite ghosts. It's disturbing to see them act so—rude!"

"Well—they were kinda flirting with me back there," Luigi said with a blush.

"Were they?"

"Yeah. I've always been easy on the eyes."

"Hm. Well—good job capturing those sisters," said Gadd.

"_Ciao_." Luigi hung up and smiled at Fred. "Shall we continue?"

"Is there even a way out of this place?" asked Fred.

Luigi checked the map on the Dual Scream. "Let's stand on that coffin over there," he said.

So they did, Fred perched on Luigi's shoulders. Thanks to their combined weight, the coffin lowered them into the sewers.

"Perfect," said Luigi. "We can get to the gardener's lab from here."

First, however, Luigi and Fred looked around for treasure, noticing a coffin leaning against the wall. When Luigi opened it, however, an unseen force sucked both of them inside!

They found themselves in a maze filled with gold coins and red coins, two Flytraps on each side. A LED display came to life in the maze's center, showing a timer which began to count down from 13.

Exchanging a nod, Fred and Luigi dashed through the maze, collecting all of the coins and evading the Flytraps. The two of them reached the end with just 3 seconds to spare, earning them a chest stuffed with gold bars.

"Yeah!" cheered Luigi, high-fiving Fred.

Back in the sewers, Luigi led Fred to the gardener's lab, using his vacuum to carry the Toad across bodies of water. He quickly found the Pixelator Screen and pulled the lever, watching it come to life.

"Here you go," he said brightly.

"Thanks, Luigi!" cried Fred.

The two of them waved as the Pixelator Screen transported Fred to safety.

Seconds later, the Dual Scream rang.

"Yello?"

"Well done, Luigi! See, that graveyard wasn't so bad, was it?" Gadd chuckled.

"You have no idea," said Luigi.

"Nice work capturing the Three Sisters and leading Fred to safety," said Gadd. "He just popped out of the screen over here. Now it's your turn, kiddo!"

"All right. _Ciao_."

Luigi hung up and did a little victory dance while waiting for the Pixelator to work its magic.

**…**

"Good work up there," said Gadd once Luigi landed in the Bunker. "Although—I really hoped we'd find that special key inside the crypt."

"Yeah—me too," said Luigi, "but this is one of your employees we're talking about here. I'm just happy he's out of danger."

"Me, too," said Gadd. "Plus, you didn't come back totally empty handed! Let's have a look at those ghosts!"

After Luigi emptied the Poltergust, Gadd sighed. "It's too bad we have to keep the Three Sisters down in the Vault," he said, "but it's for their own safety. Once we restore the Dark Moon, maybe they'll be willing to join me for a steaming cup of ghost tea!"

"I'm sure they'll hold no hard feelings," said Luigi. "_I_ don't, if you can believe that."

"What about Fred?" asked Gadd. "I hope he can forgive me for leaving him at the Boos' mercy. Being trapped inside that painting couldn't have been fun."

"Toads don't hold grudges," Luigi assured him. "Usually."

"When I asked him what happened, he was reluctant to share the details. However, he brought back a little snapshot taken by my special tridimensional security camera!"

Luigi chewed his bottom lip. "He _did_ say something about a security image."

"I need a couple of minutes to unscramble the image, though," said Gadd. "I'll let you know when it's ready."

"Okeydokey," said Luigi, joining Fred in the lounge.

He needed some time to recover from his fight with the Three Sisters, anyway.

**Please R&R.**


	14. B-4: Pool Party

"All right, you two," said Gadd, walking into the lounge and rousing Luigi and Fred from their rest. "I've unscrambled that security image. Wanna take a look-see?"

"I've always loved to study my own work," replied Fred.

"Maybe it can help us," added Luigi.

The three of them headed over to the console, where the security image was displayed on the monitor.

One of the first things they saw was a Boo holding a key as they talked to a short, pink ghost. It was almost as if the Boo was entrusting the ghost with the key.

Gadd's eyes shone behind his glasses. "Look at that key! It appears to be mighty special, don't you think?"

Luigi nodded, Fred bearing a contemplative expression.

"That Boo is giving it to that pinkish ghost!" Gadd observed.

"They probably want that ghost to hide it," reasoned Fred.

"Which means that they don't want it falling into my hands," added Luigi.

Gadd nodded. "We'll ned to take a very close look at this image in order to find clues," he said. He used the buttons on his console to tilt the image and zoom in and out.

Pointing to another pink ghost, he said, "I've never seen that kind of ghost before! And I've been in this valley for close to two years! Luigi, once you capture them, then I'll start research on them right away!"

"Yeah, okay," Luigi said distractedly, his eyes fixated on a pair of Boos carrying a portrait in a sack.

"Just look at those ghosts!" Gadd was saying. "They're out of control! The Boos seem to be encouraging their bad behavior."

"The Boos showed up after the Dark Moon shattered," said Fred. "Coincidence? I think not!"

The two of them finally noticed Luigi staring intently at the Boos carrying the portrait.

"What are those Boos holding?" asked Gadd. "Suspicious…"

"It's—another one of those paintings!" exclaimed Fred. "It's just like the portrait they shoved me into!"

Luigi said nothing, zeroing in on the portrait, particularly the pair of shoes sticking out from the burlap. They looked _extremely_ familiar—

"That's—the rooftop pool," murmured Gadd after a while. "It seems to be a meeting point for the Boos. Their power increases when they gang up, and they feed off each other's energy."

"If there are more people stuck in portraits, then we've got to help them," Fred said urgently. "Otherwise…"

Luigi tore his eyes away from the portrait. "I know," he said. "I know."

"But that key in the image," said Gadd. "It must be the special key we're looking for—the one that unlocks the door inside the Hollow Tree!"

"The ghosts must be hiding that key from us because they don't want us reaching the top of the tree," reasoned Fred.

"And they don't want us reaching the top of the tree—because that's where the Dark Moon piece is located," finished Gadd. "Oh, boy! These are some crafty ghosts we're dealing with."

Luigi stroked his chin. "I need to find a way onto that rooftop pool," he mused, "and since the ghosts won't give up that special key, I'll have to fight them for it. That sounds fun."

"Wait a minute—maybe I can help," offered Fred.

"Fred—I want you to stay in the Bunker with me," said Gadd. "Together, we can help guide Luigi in the right direction."

"All right," said Fred.

Gadd marked the rooftop pool's location on the Dual Scream.

"I'll be praying for your safe return, Luigi," said Fred.

"And so will I," said Gadd. "Now go get that special key!"

Luigi nodded, and then Gadd pixelated him to his destination as Fred waved goodbye.

**…**

Once he was back in the Haunted Towers, Luigi plugged in his earbuds and set off. First, he jostled a Gold Greenie from a tree near the entrance, numerous dollar bills spewing from the nozzle once they were captured. When he reached the courtyard, he saw to his horror that more Flytraps had grown, snapping at him as he raced into the tower lobby.

Inside the tower lobby, there was a tall flower with deep red petals, which punched down at him whenever he approached. He dodged a punch and vacuumed up the flower, earning a dollar bill. Then, he proceeded to the skybridge, where more of those flowers waited. The last flower, however, dropped an emerald, rather than a dollar bill.

"This place is getting more overrun," he said to himself. "I need to find that Dark Moon piece soon."

Back in the plant nursery, Luigi sucked up another one of those flowers and used the vacuum to turn a valve, causing water to spout from a pipe. He took a bucket and watered a sprout in the center of the room. And that sprout grew into another leafy staircase.

"What kind of plants are these?" Luigi asked himself as he carefully ascended that leafy staircase.

He found himself in a rumpus room, where a creepy-looking doll turned its head to follow his every move. Next to the doll was a dollhouse, and when Luigi inspected it, he found himself looking at the room's reflection. Peering closer, he saw that one of the jack-in-the-boxes was moving.

That couldn't be good.

With some trepidation, Luigi ventured over to the jack-in-the-box, turning the crank until a Greenie popped out!

Luigi must've hopped back a foot.

Then, he composed himself and dealt with the Greenie in his usual way, followed by several more Greenies that had emerged from the box. As he moved around the rumpus room, the doll's head continued to turn, following him. And after Luigi was finished capturing the Greenies, he saw that the doll's head had unscrewed from the body, yielding an emerald.

"That's still pretty creepy," he said before continuing on his way.

In a sprawling family room, Luigi noticed that a portrait was missing, uncovering it with the DLD. The portrait was crooked, and when he straightened it, a Boo emerged from behind him!

"I always knew you'd fall for me!" cackled the Boo. "Boo. B. Trap strikes again!"

Hardly two minutes later, Luigi had captured Boo B. Trap, and now he was in a solarium. Yanking on a cord pulled out a flight of stairs, and he revealed a hidden chest which contained a golden bone and an emerald. Then, he ran up the stairs and peered through a crack in a wall, observing a trio of Hiders lounging around in a bedroom, eventually falling asleep.

When he walked into the bedroom, however, there were no beds in sight. He had to spin a ceiling fan, which pushed the wall back to reveal the bedroom in its entirety. At once, he noticed that the Hiders were awake, and when they saw him, they dove under the three beds.

Uncovering them was easy. All Luigi had to do was yank away the top sheet. But once he captured the first Hider, the other two decided to play a shell game with him, shifting the beds and forcing their opponent to keep a quick eye. However, Luigi had played many shell games. He only slipped up once before he sucked up all of the Hiders, the last one dropping a key.

The key unlocked the door to the west hall, where two doors waited for him. The door to his left was locked, but the other door took him across a crow's next. He hummed along to his music as he traversed the crow's next, stunning bats and pulling down vines along the way. Eventually, he found himself back in the conservatory.

"Now what?" he asked.

The sight of those bulb-like plants answered his question. Using them, he floated his way up to a hidden door. After he uncovered it with the DLD, this door took him to another maze with red coins.

In this maze, Luigi had 15 seconds to run up the flights of stairs and gather all of the red coins. He completed the challenge with 5 seconds to spare, earning another emerald for his efforts.

Outside of the door, he found a golden bulb. As soon as he inflated it, he followed the trail of coins back down to the conservatory, where a chest stuffed with treasure appeared. Then, he floated back up to another door, which took him to the crow's nest's upper level. After he used the DLD to uncover a key, he returned to the west hall to unlock the other door.

The door opened into the west bathroom, where a vain Slammer was studying their reflection in one of the mirrors. Luigi captured them before they even knew he was there, but the element of surprise was soon lost as a couple of Greenies arrived on the scene. After he dealt with them, those pink gates strangely didn't disappear. There were more ghosts about, but where were they?

In his distracted state, Luigi stepped in a purple, gelatinous puddle. At once, a purple, gelatinous ghost formed around him, entrapping him and giving him a big hug. Luigi managed to break free, and then he used the DLD to form the two smaller puddles into two smaller gelatinous ghosts. These ghosts had an infinite amount of HP, so he had to use a Surge to get them into the vacuum.

"Ick," he said when he was finished. "I think I'll call those ghosts—Creepers."

After uncovering one last emerald, he plopped onto a nearby deck chair to rest, only to be catapulted up to the rooftop pool.

"All right," said Luigi. "I made it. Now to look for that special key…"

After splashing some water onto his face, Luigi noticed that there were frog statues on three corners of the pool, which meant that one statue was hidden. Once the statue was revealed, it ejected the special key, where it floated in the middle of the pool.

"I never would've thought that," Luigi mused as he waded into the pool and grabbed the special key.

A strange noise made him pause. Mysterious ripples formed in the pool, several overhangs swinging back and forth.

"Who's there?" asked Luigi.

Then, the strange noise sounded directly in his ear. Yelping, Luigi jumped into the air and splashed back into the water, dropping the special key as he did. He turned to find the special key in the hands of a triumphant looking ghost. It was one of those pinkish ghosts from Fred's security image!

"My God," he gasped. "You're quite the sneaky one, aren't you?"

The ghost chuckled as more of them appeared around the man in green. Luigi dove to his right to avoid another sneak attack and stunned two of those ghosts, only for another one to give him a scare powerful enough to jar his grip. He used the ripples in the water, along with the DLD, to track down the sneaky pink ghosts. Sneakers—that was a good name for them.

Six minutes later, Luigi managed to vacuum up the last Sneaker. As he caught his breath, he saw the special key reappear on the diving board. He walked over and scooped it up, raising it over his head in triumph.

"Yeah!" he cheered.

A cheerful bark sounded, and Luigi saw a flash of white leap over his head and snag the key from his grip.

It was the cute ghost puppy he saw at the Gloomy Manor earlier!

The puppy landed on the ground and turned to face Luigi, wagging his tail playfully.

"Hey!" cried Luigi.

Then, the puppy dropped the special key before pouncing on it, using it as a chew toy.

"No, no, no!" admonished Luigi. "Bad doggie!"

But the ghost puppy ignored Luigi, tossing the special key over the railing before happily diving after it.

"Oh, come on!" huffed Luigi.

The Dual Scream rang.

"Yello?"

"Criminy!" exclaimed Gadd. "Where did that ghostly dog come from?"

"I saw him playing outside the Gloomy Manor's mudroom," said Luigi, "but he just grabbed the special key from me."

"And now he's vanished completely," said Gadd. "Ugh—stupid dog!"

"Take it easy, Professor," said Luigi. "I think he's kinda cute."

"Whatever you say," said Gadd. "Let's bring you back."

"_Ciao_," said Luigi.

He put the Dual Scream away, just then noticing that he'd inadvertently stepped in some ghostly dog's droppings.

"Yuck," Luigi grimaced, quickly wiping his shoe.

**…**

"Luigi!" chirped Fred when the man in green landed back in the Bunker.

"Hey, Fred," said Luigi as the two of them hugged.

"I certainly didn't see _that_ coming," said Gadd, referring to the ghost puppy. "We need to recover that special key at all costs."

"Can you track him down?" asked Luigi.

"I tried to locate him with the Parascope, but the doggone dog's gone!"

"Say _that_ three times fast," murmured Fred.

"Let's unload the Poltergust 5000, shall we?" asked Gadd. "I believe you captured a new kind of ghost!"

"Actually—I caught three new types of ghosts," said Luigi as he emptied the ghost vacuum.

"And look at that," said Gadd. "You've earned enough treasure for me to start on your third upgrade. This upgrade will complete the Power Gauge for the Surge function!"

"Perfect," said Luigi.

"When I'm finished with the upgrade, I'll try to tune the Parascope to find that dog's hiding place," said Gadd. "How about you take a breather?"

"Okay," said Luigi, sliding off the Poltergust and handing it to the professor.

Then, he turned to Fred.

"Would you like to share some sweet wine with me?"

**Please R&R.**


	15. B-5: Doggone Key

"You mean, he hasn't called you or anything?" asked Fred. "He doesn't even know where you are?"

"I don't know where _he_ is, either," said Luigi. "I've texted him and left him voice messages—but he hasn't answered!"

"He's not someone who'd deliberately ignore your messages," said Fred.

"Exactly. Which means that he's in some kind of trouble, and I can't help him!"

Fred rubbed Luigi's back comfortingly. "The good thing is—everyone else in the MK is aware of the situation, and they're doing what they can to get to the bottom of this," he said. "And certainly, your brother won't go down without a fight. You shouldn't count _that_ out."

"You're right," said Luigi. Fred's words made him feel a little better.

He sent a few more texts to Mario, Peach and the four Toad retainers before turning to Fred. "We'd better go check on the Professor," he told him.

The two of them walked over to join Gadd, who had a big smile for them.

"You're just in time, Luigi," said the professor. "I have your upgrade ready. When the Power Gauge flashes red, you can give the ghosts your most powerful Surge yet!"

"Thank you," said Luigi, sliding the Poltergust back on.

"Regarding our current objective, though, I have good news and bad news," said Gadd. "The good news is that the ghost dog who took the special key is somewhere in the Haunted Towers."

"And the bad news?" asked Luigi.

"The dog is running from room to room, so we can't actually pinpoint him."

"Well, what do you expect?" asked Fred. "He's a dog—and a puppy at that. Puppies rarely stand still."

"However," Gadd went on, "the Parascope discovered something that may help us."

"What's that?" asked Luigi.

"The dog left behind a trail of spectral paw prints starting in the Courtyard," smiled Gadd. "If you follow that invisible trail, then you should eventually find him."

"I can use my Dark-Light Device to uncover the ghost puppy's paw prints," Luigi realized.

"Bingo," said Gadd. "Are you ready, youngster?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," shrugged Luigi.

"Don't even think about coming back here without that special key."

Luigi rolled his eyes. "I can't come back from there unless you recall me with your Pixelator," he said, "but okay."

"Try not to hurt the puppy too much," added Fred.

"Don't worry," said Luigi. "I won't. He's simply too cute to harm!"

Gadd rolled his eyes as he activated the Pixelator, sending Luigi on his mission.

**…**

The first sound Luigi heard after regaining his bearings was the ghost puppy's happy barking. Through the front gate, he could see that the special key was still in the puppy's jaws. Quietly, he stepped into the courtyard to find the ghostly puppy prancing back and forth.

_Maybe if I distract him, I can get the special key back without any hassle_, thought Luigi. He hearkened back to the gold bones he'd discovered all over the valley so far. Well, since dogs liked gnawing on bones, perhaps they could make a trade.

The pup turned, his big, pupil-less eyes fixed on Luigi. The special key fell out of his jaws, and his tongue dangled from his mouth.

"Hi, doggie," Luigi greeted. "I have something for you."

He reached into his pocket and pulled out one of the golden bones.

"I thought you'd like to have one of these," he said as he approached the ghostly pup. "It's a special treat. And I've saved it just for you."

He knelt down so that he was at the pup's eye level.

Woofing excitedly, the pup rushed forward, licked the golden bone and then gathered it in his jaws, gnawing it hungrily for a few seconds before swallowing it whole. Then, he pranced up to Luigi and licked his face.

Luigi chuckled.

The puppy then rolled over onto his back, staring pleadingly at Luigi.

"Okeydokey—I know what you want," said Luigi, beginning to rub the pup's tummy.

The pup closed his eyes in enjoyment.

"You just want attention, don't you?" asked Luigi.

The pup whined softly in response.

"I don't really blame you. There's—not a lot of people in the valley to give you some puppy love, is there?"

Another whine.

Luigi lightly scratched the puppy behind his ears. "Listen—do you see that key over there?"

The puppy opened his eyes and gave Luigi a questioning look.

"There was a key at the rooftop pool, and you took it and played with it a little, do you remember?"

The puppy glanced over at the aforementioned key, and then back at Luigi.

"Well—I really need that key to get to the treetop," Luigi explained, pointing to the Hollow Tree. "Something really important is located there, and I need to get it for one of my friends." He smiled. "I'll give you another treat if you give me that special key."

The puppy woofed, licked Luigi's face a second time and trotted over to where he left the key. He picked it up and then trotted back toward the man in green.

"Aw—thank you," said Luigi. "You're a good puppy!"

The puppy then stopped, and a mischievous glint emerged in his eye as he tossed the key into the air—and swallowed it.

"Hey!" cried Luigi.

"Arf! Arf!" the puppy replied before racing toward the door to the Hydro Generator and leaping through.

"Aw, man!" Luigi rose to his feet and shook out his legs. "Well, it was worth a try."

He walked into the Hydro Generator room and used his DLD to follow the trail of spectral paw prints to the toolshed. The puppy was hiding in one of the drawers, and when Luigi opened it, the puppy pounced on him, licking him and giving him doggie kisses.

"Ah—okay," spluttered Luigi. "Can you please give me the special key?"

The pup woofed once and raced off into the garden.

"I'll take that as a 'no'," said Luigi as he followed the spectral pup.

In the garden, the pup waited expectantly near the lawn mower, and when he saw Luigi, he pulled on the cord. The lawn mower came to life, the puppy escaping in the ensuing confusion. But the plumber owed the pup some thanks—he'd uncovered some more treasure to collect.

Once the treasure was collected, Luigi started to go back into the toolshed and resume the chase, only for those gates to slam down and a trio of Sneakers to surprise him!

"Are you serious?" he balked.

The Slammers laughed, but Luigi put their laughter to an end when he brandished the Poltergust and stunned all three of them at once. They dragged him all over the garden, the ghost wrangler eventually finding his footing and leaning against the brick wall. He waited until the Power Gauge turned red, and then he pressed that red button, a deep Surge thrumming through his nerves and forcing the Sneakers into the vacuum. That _really _felt good.

Back in the toolshed, however, most of the furniture had disappeared. More time was wasted as Luigi drew out and then vacuumed all of the Spirit Balls in the room. And to make things worse, there was a Boo hiding in the watering can!

"Yip! Yip! I'm French Boodle!" cackled the Boo. "Aren't I bootiful?"

"Look—I'm really on a time crunch right now," said Luigi.

"Sucks to be you, then," giggled French Boodle.

Luigi glared at French Boodle before proceeding to grab their tongue in his vacuum and launch them all over the toolshed. When they landed, dazed, Luigi vacuumed them up before using the DLD to track the ghostly pup to the toolshed stairs.

Once the fountain deposited Luigi there, the pup woofed happily, licked the plumber's face and dashed up to the next floor. The pup then lay there, watching amusedly as a Creeper confronted his pursuer. Luigi defeated the Creeper in no time flat before proceeding up the stairs, the pup vanishing once he reached the top.

Luigi sighed. "The little guy just wants someone to play with," he mused.

He followed the trail of paw prints up to the next floor, only for the pup to flee once more. Oh, well. At least he got to capture a Gold Greenie and earn more treasure.

Up to the next floor he went, where he searched the conservatory. The organ was hidden, so he used the DLD to reveal it. Remembering the Hiders who took the pinwheel vanes, he stretched his fingers over the keys, but just as he was about to play—

A Creeper surprised him with a slimy embrace!

Luigi kicked himself free, the action splitting the large Creeper into two smaller Creepers. He vacuumed them up, and then he played a few chords on the organ, forcing the ghostly pup out of one of the pipes. However, he didn't really count on the pup tackling him again, giving his face a few licks before scampering out of the room.

Before Luigi could follow suit, more of those gates barred the exit, and he found himself faced with several Greenies and a Gobber. During the ensuing battle, the Greenies would deliberately drag him into the Gobber's line of fine, so that he'd be hit by the gunk the large ghost constantly hawked up. He wiped the stuff off his face and kept going, capturing them all seven minutes later.

"The puppy must be in the west hall," he murmured to himself. "I gotta head over there."

He raced across the crow's next and into the west hall, using his DLD to uncover the puppy in the west bathroom. The pup leaped out of the sink, and Luigi chased after him until three Creepers surprised him in the west hall. After dealing with the Creepers, he followed the puppy into the west bedroom.

There, Creepers would try to drop down on him from the ceiling, and he'd dodge out of the way and vacuum them up one by one. And finally—finally—he located the spectral puppy in one of the beds. Luigi stunned the puppy and began to vacuum him up, feeling a twinge of guilt at the pup's frantic barking. And when he finally sucked the puppy up, the whimper he let out made him feel _especially_ bad.

"Sorry, doggie," he said, "but I need that key."

And there it was, floating in the middle of the room. Luigi pulled out a few tissues and picked it up.

"I got it!" he cried jubilantly.

The Dual Scream rang.

"Yello?"

"Hurray! You finally nabbed the special key!" exclaimed Gadd.

"The puppy didn't damage it too much," said Luigi.

"Speaking of which, good work catching that dog," Gadd told him. "You know, I think the little guy just wanted someone to play with."

"I think so, too," said Luigi.

"Surely, he'll find plenty of playmates in the Vault," said Gadd. "I'll bring you back now, youngster. Hold on…"

"_Ciao_."

Luigi hung up and sighed. Gadd's Vault was no place for a puppy—even if said puppy was a ghost!

**…**

"Welcome back, Luigi!" Gadd sang out. "Let's send that spectral pooch down to the Vault right away."

"Okay," sighed Luigi, dutifully emptying the Poltergust.

But then, the vacuum began to shudder. As Luigi peered into the nozzle to inspect the problem, it nearly jerked out of his hand—and out popped the ghost pup!

The puppy scampered over to the professor and licked his face a few times. Then, he did the same to Fred and finally to Luigi, adding some extra doggie kisses, before making good his escape. Luigi was secretly relieved, to say the least.

Gadd composed himself, wiping his face with a handkerchief. "J—s! How did he escape from the Poltergust 5000?"

"Beats me," shrugged Fred.

"Guess I'll have to tighten up the containment unit," muttered Gadd. "But—that can wait. Let's see that special key!"

Luigi fished the special key out of his pocket and gave it to the professor.

"Ick!" exclaimed Gadd. "It's covered in doggie drool and a bit chewed up! Luckily, the damage isn't serious."

"Don't worry, Professor," Fred chimed in. "I'll help you fix up that key!"

Gadd nodded. "Thank you, Fred," he said. "The timing couldn't have been better, because—in layman's terms—I basically asked our Dark Moon pieces where their friend is hiding. And once I enter the data into the Parascope, we'll know exactly where the next Dark Moon piece is!"

"Knock yourself out," said Luigi. "I need to go wash my face."

Turning on his heel, he strode toward the bathroom.

_The sooner we get the Dark Moon repaired, the sooner I can find my brother…_

**Please R&R.**


	16. Tree Topping

Fred walked into the lounge and spotted Luigi on the couch, cracking open a fresh bottle of wine. A cold compress rested in his lap, and some bandages, disinfectant and ointment sat on a table nearby. The Toad Assistant felt a small pang in his heart. This man in green had taken a thrashing from these ghosts, all to protect him and the professor, and he probably wanted to be anywhere but here. Yet here he stayed. He was just _that_ committed to aiding his friends and proving himself as a hero in his own right.

"Hey, Luigi?" Fred spoke up. "The Professor and I got the key all fixed up for you."

Luigi set down the wine bottle and turned toward Fred. "Great," he said. "Thanks."

"By the way," said Fred. "Thank you—for saving my life and defending me from the Three Sisters."

"You're welcome," beamed Luigi.

"Will you be okay?"

Luigi nodded. "I'll do my best. But I appreciate the concern."

He stood, put the bandages and ointment back into the first-aid kit and followed Fred out of the lounge.

Gadd was waiting for them, wearing a huge smile. "Luigi, it's time to open that creepy door and see what's behind it!" he announced. "Aren't you excited?"

"Do I have to answer?" sighed Luigi.

Gadd just chuckled. "Thanks to my recent analysis of the Dark Moon pieces, the Parascope has become more accurate!"

"Did you find out where it's located?"

"Indeed. It's in the treehouse at the very top of the big tree!"

Luigi bit his lip. "I knew it."

Gadd marked the location on the Dual Scream before handing Luigi the cleaned and newly-repaired special key.

"It wasn't tough to fix," he said as Luigi pocketed it. "The damage was minor, just like I thought."

"Good to know."

"Use the key to open that door, get to the treehouse and find that Dark Moon piece," said Gadd.

"I won't let you down," said Luigi.

"I know you won't," said Gadd. "Oh, and Luigi…"

"Yes?"

"The Parascope picked up some—troubling signals inside the treehouse. _Powerful_ signals."

"Why am I not surprised?" asked Luigi. "They must be coming from whoever's guarding the Dark Moon piece."

Gadd bit his lip. "Be careful up there, youngster," he entreated.

"I'll do my best," said Luigi.

"We're rooting for you!" Fred piped up.

Luigi squared his shoulders and braced himself as Gadd activated the Pixelator.

**…**

This time, Luigi was pixelated to the Hollow Tree, right in front of the door. He inhaled the scent of wood, moss, soil and bark as he crept to the door, fished out the special key and turned it in the lock. The door's creepy "jaws" opened, and Luigi cautiously stepped through—only to come to a halt when he saw the rows upon rows of stairs before him.

"You've got to be s—ing me," he muttered.

A white ghost popped out in front of him, eliciting a yelp. This ghost had two horns and a purple hue near their chest—surely, it was the Dark Moon piece! In fact, the ghost looked similar to the grouchy Possessor he'd confronted in the Gloomy Manor's cellar!

The ghost laughed at Luigi before floating to the top of the staircase. It was an eerie-looking staircase, indeed, almost completely darkened save for the torches burning with a blue flame. This staircase was arranged in sets of three, which probably meant that only one set of stairs would enable him to proceed.

Luigi's suspicions were confirmed as soon as he was halfway up one of the sets. All of the torches went out, and the stairs dropped out from under him, sending him sliding back down as a Greenie laughed at him. He picked himself up, captured the Greenie and tried again. Luckily, he picked the correct set this time around, the torches reverting to their red-orange flame when he passed.

It was an arduous, frustrating climb up that eerie staircase, since he had no way of knowing which of the sets of stairs were fake and which one was real. If he slipped up, then the torches on the correct stair sets would be temporarily unlit, but this reprieve only lasted a sorry few seconds. To make things worse, there were no checkpoints. One misstep, and he'd be unceremoniously dumped all the way to the bottom with some ghost to fight, with said ghost laughing at and taunting him. Not all of them were Greenies—he wound up battling a few Sneakers and Slammers, as well, even the occasional Creeper.

_Why does this [bleep] always happen to me?!_ He thought.

How long did it take to ascend the eerie staircase? Five minutes? Ten? Twenty-five? An hour? The only sounds filling the air were those of laughing ghosts, the Strobulb, the whirring vacuum and his flurry of swearing each time he wound up on a false set of stairs. So many stairs. So. Many. F—ing. Stairs. What moron designed this staircase, anyway?! The only thing keeping him from going insane was the music softly playing on his phone, which luckily didn't tumble out of his pocket each time he was sent sliding back to square one.

Mercifully, Luigi finally reached the top of the stairs, sweaty, covered in rub burns and splinters, bruised from the ghosts' punches and royally p—ed off. He tugged on a plant-like cord until a door crumbled and then stomped up the flight of (regular) stairs toward the treehouse.

When he finally reached his destination, Luigi wiped his brow and caught his breath. The Dark Moon piece was nowhere in sight, but maybe it was inside the small treehouse across from him. He started to ascend the small flight of stairs into the treehouse—

…only for said stairs to buck him off like a bronco, sending him reeling to the floor!

The staircase then came to life, blue flames licking along its top half, bounding towards Luigi and roaring in his face. He scrambled to safety as the suddenly sentient staircase snapped its "jaws" at him—and then it gave pursuit.

_How is this staircase alive?!_

For the time being, however, Luigi was focused on staying alive as the staircase pounced after him, repeatedly trying to catch him in its "jaws". Then, it leaped high into the air and slammed down hard. The blue flames went out, and Luigi saw a red, tassel like cord, almost like the staircase's _tongue_.

Quickly, Luigi ran over and yanked on the cord, causing the horned ghost he saw earlier to topple out. Just as he'd suspected, it was another Possessor—and a harsh one, too.

The harsh Possessor generated a force field and barreled at Luigi, who simply evaded their attacks until they grew exhausted and dropped their shield. Instantly, Luigi stunned them and vacuumed up their first coat. Hastily, the Possessor retreated into the staircase, which roared at Luigi a second time before shooting blue fire at him from its "eyes".

_Okay. I'll just have to wait for that "tongue" to reappear._

The entire cycle repeated twice more. Dodging the monstrous staircase as it snapped at him and tried to pounce on him. Pulling on the tassel to jar the Possessor from the staircase. Trying to prevent the Possessor from ramming him—and then going on the attack once they grew tired. Despite the creepiness factor, this fight was shaping up to be easier than the preceding nonsense with the eerie staircase.

Finally, the possessed staircase leaped into the sky one last time before crashing down hard enough to briefly knock Luigi off his feet. Breathing hard, he pushed himself back up and yanked on the red tassel, forcing out the harsh Possessor. They managed to deal a few glancing blows to him before he flashed his Strobulb and let the vacuum rip, finally sucking that Possessor inside.

The Poltergust's nozzle shuddered, and the Dark Moon piece was violently expelled from the vacuum. Luigi was knocked toward the edge of the treetop, landing on his bottom. He remained there for about a minute, composing himself, before getting up and heaving the Possessor-free staircase back toward the treehouse.

Luigi scooped up the Dark Moon piece and held it up in triumph. "Yeah!" he exclaimed.

The Dual Scream rang.

"Yello?"

"Luigi! Are you okay?!" asked Gadd.

"Yeah—I'm fine," said Luigi, still winded from the fight.

"Who would've thought? Another Possessor guarding the Dark Moon piece!"

"This one was pretty harsh," said Luigi, "but I figured out their attack pattern and beat them."

"I'll say—you really took care of business! Nice work, Luigi."

"Thanks," said Luigi.

"I'm sure the view from up there is nice, but we've still got work to do," said Gadd. "I'm bringing you back. Hold on to your overalls!"

"_Ciao_."

Luigi hung up and launched into another victory dance, stopping when he noticed a spiky fruit stuck to his backside. Taking great care, he managed to pull it off and kick it away.

"Oh, how I've missed this," he said.

**…**

"Welcome back, Luigi," said Gadd.

"Hi, Professor. Hi, Fred." Luigi wrinkled his nose, catching the faint aroma of buttered popcorn.

Gadd looked a bit sheepish. "Sorry about that," he said. "Your battle with that Possessor was so thrilling, I just had to have some!"

"Hm. Good to know you found that entertaining," said Luigi.

He crossed the room and emptied the Poltergust, sending the harsh Possessor to the Vault.

"I don't think it's a coincidence that both of the Possessors we've seen had Dark Moon pieces in them," said Gadd. "Speaking of which, let's get our new Dark Moon piece all cleaned up, shall we?"

Luigi fished the Dark Moon piece out of his pocket and placed it on the turntable-like contraption, watching as it was wiped spotless.

"More of the fog has cleared," Fred reported. "We're making progress!"

Gadd lowered the fourth monitor, where a projection of the clockworks factory appeared.

"Looks like I have another area to explore," Luigi crisply stated.

"No doubt it's full of pesky ghosts," Gadd put in, "but before we check out Old Clockworks, how about you rest from that fight with the Possessor?"

"I was _just_ thinking that," said Luigi, heading toward the lounge.

He needed to check for news on Mario, anyway.

**Please R&R.**


	17. Hostile Intrusion

"Any news?"

"Still no word," said Conrad. "A few Toads are on their way to his house for a welfare check."

Luigi's heart dropped into his stomach. A welfare check? This was definitely more serious than he imagined!

"D—mit! I should've been there, Conrad! Maybe I could've helped him and…"

"We'll get to the bottom of this," said Conrad. "Don't worry. But Peach doesn't want the MK thrown into panic. While Mario's well-being is her top priority, so is maintaining order over her dominion."

"Yes, I understand that, but…"

"Luigi?" Gadd's voice sounded.

Luigi let out a huff. "I gotta go," he said. "Keep me posted."

He hung up and rejoined Gadd and Fred. "What is it?" he asked.

"We're not quite done with the Haunted Towers yet," said the professor. "Remember when the Gloomy Manor had some—unexpected visitors? Those ghosts that came out of nowhere?"

"Yeah. Did it—happen again?"

"Yes. Only this time, the paranormal signals seem—stronger."

"Yikes," said Luigi. "That sounds like a hostile intrusion if you ask me."

"I agree," said Fred. "The professor and I are playing it safe and sending you in to investigate."

"As usual, I'll be watching your progress and guiding you from here," said Gadd. "Look lively!"

"Okeydokey!" said Luigi.

With that, Gadd pixelated Luigi to the Haunted Towers' entrance.

**…**

"Luigi, am I coming in loud and clear?"

Luigi stood up and brushed himself off. "Yeah," he replied.

"All right. I've marked the location of the ghosts on your map. Hop to it!"

Luigi studied the Dual Scream, found the exclamation points, plugged in his earbuds and then set off.

The first ghosts were located in the Hydro Generator room, in the greenhouse and in the gardener's dwelling. In the Hydro Generator room, Luigi tangled with lots of Slammers, followed by Greenies and a few Hiders. He tried to deal with the Hiders first, only for the powerful Slammers to distract him. Eventually, he just sought to capture the ghosts causing him the most trouble at the moment. That throwdown got his blood pumping, and good thing, too, because what awaited him in the greenhouse and in the gardener's dwelling was tougher. First, there were Greenies armed with shovels, using them to defend themselves against the Strobulb as well as viciously jabbing them at Luigi. They left half-moon-shaped bruises on his skin, paired with similarly shaped cuts which stung and bled but otherwise weren't dangerous. Whenever the ghosts hurt him, he just walked it off and didn't stop fighting until they all were in the Poltergust.

He licked the sweat off his upper lip as Gadd's voice came in over the Dual Scream.

"More ghosts about, youngster!" he warned. "Check your map, and give them what for!"

This second round of ghosts had taken over the plant nursery, the conservatory and the toolshed. And here, there were a lot of Creepers joining the party in the form of innocuous puddles. Whenever Luigi saw a purple puddle, he shone the DLD on it, causing the puddle to form into a Creeper, and then yanked them off the ground with a powerful surge. These Creepers could get pretty large, too, and they enjoyed giving him gelatinous hugs whenever he came upon them. There were a lot more armed Greenies in the mix, too, along with those gross Gobbers. But the more Creepers, armed Greenies and Gobbers he came across, the more opportunities he had to practice dealing with them. Live and learn, and all that good stuff.

And not once had he entertained the idea of throwing in the towel and making a beeline for home. Perhaps he was getting used to this—

Gadd's voice broke him out of his thoughts.

"Holy [bleep]! More, still? Why are they back there?"

"Beats me," said Luigi.

He started in the west bedroom and worked his way down from there, encountering more Creepers and Gobbers, along with Sneakers, Slammers and Hiders. There were a few Greenies, but they tended to appear after Luigi defeated the stronger ghosts. Not that it mattered, since they were armed, anyway.

From the west bedroom to the family room to the solarium and the botany lab, Luigi fought nonstop against the ghosts still wandering around the Haunted Towers. Along the way, he collected plentiful gold bars and dollar bills, even another golden bone. And no matter how big the ghostly horde and how much of a fight they gave him, he still didn't think about abandoning the venture. At this rate, he could finish retrieving the other Dark Moon pieces and still have time to uncover his brother's whereabouts. And Gadd had sounded _extremely_ shaken when he'd called. If it was serious enough to shake up an experienced man of science, then it was serious enough to call in a "timid" man with a ghost vacuum.

By the time Luigi finished clearing out the courtyard, his blood was practically _thrumming_.

The Dual Scream rang.

"Yello?"

"That's the last of them, Luigi!" Gadd reported. "Hopefully, we won't get another event like this anytime soon."

"Don't tempt the Fates, Professor," cautioned Luigi.

"Uh—okay," said Gadd. "I'm bringing you back now."

"_Ciao_," said Luigi before hanging up and dancing happily about the courtyard.

**…**

"I knew I could depend on you, Luigi," said Gadd. "Good job!"

"Thank you very much," replied Luigi.

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you're starting to enjoy this gig," Gadd craftily went on.

Luigi blushed, for he knew Gadd wasn't _completely_ wrong.

"Beneath that cautious, nervous exterior lies a daring thrill seeker with a heart of gold," Fred chimed in.

"You're—right about the 'heart of gold' part," said Luigi as he emptied the Poltergust.

"Now, where were we?" asked Gadd. "Ah, yes—the ghosts. Always with the ghosts."

"Well—you've dealt with them all your life," said Luigi. "I've dealt with them—directly—only once, and frankly, I planned for it to stay that way."

"Plans have a peculiar habit of changing," Gadd said wisely. "Getting back to the subject, though, I still don't understand where all of those ghosts are coming from."

Fred and Luigi hummed in agreement.

"The Parascope doesn't detect them until they're here, so I can't trace their origin." Gadd sighed deeply. "Well, they're gone now, so let's get back to our quest."

"I'm with you there," said Luigi.

He was quite curious as to what would await him in the Old Clockworks.

**…**

** "He's claimed another Dark Moon piece!" reported the Boo. "Should we be concerned, Your Grace?"**

** "On the contrary, we should be happy," King Boo replied. "Each Dark Moon piece he collects will bring him closer to our surprise for him."**

** "But if he gets all of the Dark Moon pieces," said another Boo, "then the local ghosts will be back to their pacifist selves, and all of this will be for nothing."**

** "I assure you," smirked King Boo, "he won't make that far before I get my hands on him. I **_**defy**_** him to get past our new friends waiting for him at the Old Clockworks—especially our muscle laying in wait atop the Clock Tower."**

** The Boos exchanged a look before sharing their King's smile.**

** "Run along now, and check on the rest of the valley," said King Boo. "I'm going to pay a visit to our red-clad friend."**

** The Boos nodded and departed, and King Boo took his leave as well, cackling softly to himself.**

* * *

**Please R&R.**


	18. C-1: A Timely Entrance

"He's not answering the door? And his car is parked in the driveway?!"

"That's what they say," said Thad. "There were no signs of a disturbance, either—but the neighbors said that they heard a struggle."

Luigi felt sick.

"Whoever was responsible must've tidied up the place afterward," Thad went on.

"_Dio_! Someone attacked my bro, and I wasn't there to help him!" Luigi exclaimed. "Has a state of emergency been declared?"

"If the attacker wanted to go after Peach, then wouldn't they have done so already?" asked Thad. "She's still safe in her castle, and once more information surfaces, she'll take the necessary action."

"Do you know who'd attack him?" asked Luigi.

"It's definitely not Koopa," said Thad. "He would've made a spectacular entrance beforehand—burned the residence to the ground, even, and of course, he would've taken the opportunity to grab Peach. Look, maybe it's just some troublemaker who wants to rattle the MK, but I promise you—if there's a new development, then you'll be the first to know."

"Thanks, Thad," said Luigi before hanging up and snatching at his hair. This was just great. He was God-knows-how many miles from the MK, and someone decided to mess with his brother for fun! Worse yet, Mario probably didn't even know that he'd been roped into this venture in a strange land! Neither of them knew if the other was okay, or even alive. Which brother had it worse?

As Luigi tried to calm his racing thoughts, he heard Gadd's voice call his name.

"Yes?" he asked, a bit tersely, as he walked over.

"Is everything all right?"

"Well—I…"

"You still haven't heard from Mario?"

"I think something's _definitely_ happened to him," said Luigi. "Some Toads did a welfare check, and he wasn't at home, but the car was in his driveway. And the neighbors—heard sounds of struggling…"

"Dear Lord," said Gadd.

"Right now, they're saying that it's a random troublemaker, but—I should've been there! I could've helped him fight off that troublemaker!"

"I have faith in Mario," Gadd said gently. "I know he'll overpower the troublemaker and escape."

"And if he doesn't?"

"Then the Toads of the MK will band together to help him—just like he's helped them," said Gadd.

"What a case of horrible timing," grumbled Luigi. "Someone goes after Mario shortly after I'm called away on an emergency. I vowed to protect him, and…"

"Hey—you can't be everywhere at once," said Gadd, "and there are some things that you just—can't protect him from."

"It won't stop me from trying," said Luigi.

Gadd looked into his eyes and knew that he was serious about this.

"But for the time being, I'm hoping that he'll fight his way out," Luigi went on. "There has to be another Dark Moon piece hiding in the Old Clockworks. Have you tracked it down?"

"I have," said Gadd. "Before it was abandoned, Old Clockworks once produced the finest timepieces ever made. But years of neglect have turned it into a favorite haunt for ghosts. So, it wasn't surprising when the Parascope detected our next Dark Moon piece inside the place! After some fine-tuning, I was able to pinpoint its precise location—the top of the Clock Tower!"

Gadd pulled up a digital representation of the Old Clockworks. "Do you see the fancy-looking door over there? That's the Clock Tower Gate. You'll need to get through the gate in order to climb the Clock Tower. I've highlighted it on your map."

Luigi whipped out the Dual Scream and saw the exclamation mark at the aforementioned location.

"Now that we know where the Dark Moon piece is located, you won't have to stumble around in the dark!" Gadd said cheerfully.

"That's a relief," said Luigi. "I'll just get to the Clock Tower, grab the piece and then get out of there."

"You said it! What could possibly go wrong?"

Luigi bit his lip. "Maybe we shouldn't answer that," he said.

Fred nodded in agreement. "When it comes to ghosts, _anything_ can go wrong," he said.

"All righty. Here we go," said Gadd as he pixelated Luigi to the Old Clockworks.

**…**

He landed bottom-first in the gritty sand, a cloud of dust drifting around him. Luigi gave a mighty sneeze as he got to his feet, the dry, sandy wind irritating his eyes. He craned his neck and saw the tower he was looking for. The trick was—finding a way to the top.

Sneezing again, Luigi peered through a telescope, where he saw another white, horned ghost floating around the Clock Tower, a hue of purple embedded in their chest.

"A Possessor," he murmured. At least he knew what to anticipate when he reached the top of that tower.

He turned and flashed his Strobulb at a green panel, causing a yard arm to open. Sniffling and sneezing, Luigi made his way into the clockworks court, where he vacuumed up piles of sand and cobwebs and found a chest containing some dollar bills. He also came across a round, red object which he activated with the Strobulb, causing it to sprout arms and legs, flash and beep as it ran toward him. Luigi quickly ran out of the way as the object detonated.

"Huh," he said. "A robotic bomb. A robot bomb—a Robomb."

Continuing to explore the clockworks court, Luigi came across green beetles that persistently followed him around and were immune to the bug repellant he'd applied earlier. He could stun these beetles with a Strobulb flash, though. More of those Robombs appeared throughout the clockworks court, and detonating them cleared away obstacles to allow further exploration. He even came across another chest, which contained a ruby.

The front entrance was blocked by a giant clock face, but Luigi could move the clock hands by spinning the wheel next to it. When the time on the clock face matched the time on a nearby smaller clock, the giant clock lifted to reveal a door, which opened into a warehouse.

Inside the warehouse, Luigi was startled by a Greenie, who fled into a room upstairs. Also in the warehouse was a strange-looking contraption with a green ribbon inserted in it. With the vacuum, Luigi unraveled that ribbon to reveal a gold bar.

"I've never seen something like this before," he said.

He scoured the warehouse for more ribbons, lined them up in neat rows and unraveled them all. The green ones contained gold bars or dollar bills, while the red ones were less likely to contain treasure. As he worked, he heard some Boos cackling, but he paid the sound no mind—for now.

Eventually, he figured that if there were Boos nearby, then he should capture them before they caused headaches for him and Gadd. He revealed a hidden ribbon with the DLD, but it didn't contain a Boo; it contained another ruby. Unraveling a red ribbon, however, revealed the Boo he was looking for.

"ComBooter says 01100010 01101111 0101111!" laughed the Boo.

Luigi wasted no time capturing ComBooter, and then he opened a safe containing a gold ribbon, which he unraveled to reveal a key. Having completely searched the warehouse, he continued into a roundhouse, where some spiders and crows tried to bother him. He vacuumed away piles of dirt, found a golden bone in a drawer and then unlocked the door on the other side of the warehouse, which opened into a darkened workshop.

Two Greenies in welding masks were hammering away at a Robomb. Detonating that Robomb stunned the two, allowing Luigi to capture them without that rough of a fight. After those two Greenies came a Gold Greenie, and then Luigi collected all of the treasure and continued on his way.

In the next door over was the Clock Tower Gate, where some Robombs were strewn in the sand. The grains seemed to swish around Luigi as he treaded from Robomb to Robomb, detonating them all. Then, he studied the Clock Tower Gate. It was a clock face similar to the one at the entrance, except that the clock hands were missing. That was odd.

"How do I open this d—n thing?" he wondered aloud.

As if in response, the Dual Scream rang.

"Yello?"

"Good job, Luigi," said Gadd. "I see you made it to the gate."

"I did," said Luigi, "but it just looks—odd. It's just a clock face and no hands."

"Are you telling me that the clock hands are missing?!"

"They are."

"Those clever ghosts," muttered Gadd. "You see, the clock hands operate the Clock Tower Gate. The ghosts figured that out and hid them from us! Incredible!"

"Yeah—for them," sighed Luigi. "For us, it's a huge pain in the [bleep]."

"I agree," said Gadd. "It would take a strong ghost to pry off those clock hands."

Luigi remembered the Possessor he'd seen fooling around in the Clock Tower. It would be just his luck if they hid them along with the Dark Moon piece, thus making the latter unreachable.

"I'll scan the area for any powerful paranormal signals," Gadd went on. "And if I pick up anything, then I'll let you know."

"_Ciao_," said Luigi.

Just as he hung up, a Greenie appeared and then dove into the sand, creating a mini-tornado. Luigi dodged this tornado, and when the Greenie became dizzy, he stunned them and vacuumed them up. Then, two more Greenies attacked him in the same fashion. The ensuing battle left him sneezing up a storm and wiping sand granules from his eyes, but the last Greenie he defeated dropped a key, which unlocked the door to a cargo room.

The Dual Scream rang a second time.

"Yello?"

"Well, I think I've found our clock thieves," said Gadd. "There's a strong signal underground, and I reckon it's them."

"Well, how do I get underground?" asked Luigi.

"According to my research, there's a special compass that should help you get down there," Gadd replied. "It's likely stored somewhere in the drafting office. Check your map, and hop to it!"

"_Ciao_."

Luigi glanced up at the floor above him, wondering how he could reach it without any stairs. Then, his eye fell on a Robomb embedded in some sand. Detonating it caused some sand to pour into the room. This sand raised the ground level enough for him to pull down a ramp to access the next floor.

"Genius," he said.

However, as he started up the ramp, out popped a Greenie, sending him tumbling back down into the sand. This Greenie was joined by another Greenie and a couple of Robombs. Whenever the Strobulb failed to stun his ghostly opponents, Luigi relied on the Robombs, making sure to stay out of range of the explosions, of course. After capturing a Greenie, he heard the deep chuckle of a Slammer who was burrowing around in the sand. This Slammer jumped out in front of him, giving him a quick scare, but he soon recovered his wits and had the Slammer in the Poltergust's suction before they knew what was coming! Finally, the Slammer was captured, and Luigi could proceed. He detonated a gold Robomb, which yielded some gold bars, before heading up the ramp and into the next room.

It was the second floor of the Clock Tower Gate, where parts of the walkway were missing.

Bit by bit, Luigi revealed these hidden pieces of the walkway with the DLD, sucking up the Spirit Balls and wincing as they glanced across his body. During this, spiders would descend on webs to impede him, and he'd just stun or vacuum them. When he reached the end of this walkway, he pushed open the door into the drafting office, which was teeming with ghosts.

Luigi sucked in his breath and battled them all, and afterward, he sucked loose scraps of paper into his vacuum. Blowing on a ceiling fan pushed back a wall to reveal a hidden area of the drafting office, but before he could explore it, a Sneaker startled him! He brandished the Poltergust and advanced on them, only for two more Sneakers to pop out and give him a huge scare!

After a few slip-ups, Luigi managed to stun all three Sneakers at once, capturing them in seconds. Then, he turned his vacuum back on the ceiling fan, pushing back the wall and walking into the hidden area before the passageway closed behind him.

A door in this hidden area took him to the warehouse's second floor, where there were plenty of gold bars to collect. After that, he went back inside, where he found the special compass inside a desk!

Laughing softly, Luigi kissed the compass before answering an incoming call on the Dual Scream.

"Yello?"

"Ah! That must be the special compass!" said Gadd. "I'll bring you back so Fred and I can take a gander at it. Hold on a sec."

"_Ciao_." Luigi hung up and did his little victory dance as he waited for the Pixelator to recall him.

**…**

"I must say—I really thought getting that Dark Moon piece would be a breeze," sighed Gadd.

"So did I," said Luigi, "but I should've known better."

"Yeah. These pesky ghosts won't make this easy for us," bemoaned Gadd. "Speaking of ghosts, let's unload the Poltergust 5000."

Once Luigi did so, Gadd laughed and clapped his hands. "Perfect! I can now equip the DLD with its final upgrade!" he cried. "The cooling component will now reach its maximum efficacy. Those ghosts can't hide from you now!"

Luigi slid off his Poltergust and handed it to Gadd.

"There will be one more upgrade after this," said Gadd, "and it's going to be special. But—more on that later. Let me see that special compass."

"Here you go," said Luigi, handing over the item in question.

Gadd intently studied the special compass. "This is really something else," he breathed. "I'm gonna need some time to examine it. Fred, would you like to help?"

"Certainly," replied Fred.

"Perhaps you'd like to visit the Vault in the meantime, Luigi," asked Gadd. "Check your progress."

"Maybe," replied Luigi.

Gadd pressed a button, and Luigi gasped as he was lowered into the Vault beneath the Bunker. The ghosts were in a green containment unit, and the Boos were in a blue containment unit. Luigi walked over to the unit which stored the ghosts, watching as they socialized with each other. Down here, it was quiet and still. Perhaps he could take advantage of that to fish for updates on Mario's situation—whatever that might be.

**Please R&R.**


	19. C-2: Underground Expedition

After placing calls to Brad, Chad, Thad and Conrad, Luigi sent yet another voicemail to Mario. He was surprised to find that the situation hadn't yet made the news. In this day and age, something like that wouldn't take long to reach the headlines. And since Mario was infinitesimally important to the MK, the news about his startling disappearance would've broken instantly.

Something was going on, and Luigi knew it.

"Okay, Luigi," Gadd's voice said from above. "I'm bringing you up."

Luigi held on as he was hoisted out of the vault. Gadd sat there, smiling brightly.

"Good news, Luigi—the special compass revealed an alternate entrance to the underground!" he announced.

"Do you think the clock hands are hidden there?" asked Luigi.

"I sure hope they are," replied Gadd. "I've marked the entrance's location on your map. Take a look!"

Luigi took out his Dual Scream and studied the exclamation point.

"The normal access may be blocked," Gadd went on, "but there's an exterior hatch located in the Clockworks Court."

Luigi put the Dual Scream away, and then Gadd handed him the special compass.

"This will open that hatch, believe it or not," said Gadd.

"Cool," said Luigi.

"They don't call this compass special for nothing!" Gadd said with a laugh. "Now, about the missing parts for the Clock Tower Gate—the clock hands are our top priority. And like you said, there's a strong probability that they're deep underground."

"Courtesy of the ghosts," Fred chimed in.

"Yeah," said Luigi, "and they won't give them up without pounding me hard. I need to be careful."

Quickly, he ducked into the lounge to change into a short-sleeved shirt, for he knew that it would be hot and stuffy down there.

"All right," said Gadd when Luigi was ready. "Good luck, youngster. Don't get lost down there."

"Professor!" chided Fred.

"It's okay. I won't," said Luigi.

Gadd chuckled before activating the Pixelator.

**…**

This time, Luigi was able to land on his feet like a professional gymnast. He allowed himself a few seconds to silently celebrate this little accomplishment before setting out on his mission.

It wasn't long before he found something—metal—sticking out from the ground. Pulling out the special compass, Luigi knelt down and fitted it into the metal fixture. Sand kicked up as the compass started to spin, revealing some sort of trapdoor. Luigi tapped on it with his foot, causing the door to open, sending him dropping down.

Luigi was deposited into a storm cellar, and as he predicted, it was hot and a little stuffy. Luckily, he'd made sure to bring some water along. Even so, he didn't want to spend more time in here than needed.

Before he could head deeper underground, however, two Greenies appeared in front of him, one of them holding a wooden bucket. Just like that, Luigi snapped into action, vacuuming the bucket out of the Greenie's hands, holding down the Strobulb button and then releasing the flash once the two ghosts were in range. They were captured in seconds.

There was a door blocked by a gate, but placing a rock on a nearby lift easily lifted it. After finding another ruby, Luigi proceeded into a canyon hall, humming along to his music playlist as he crept forward. Detonating a Robomb cleared away some debris, and then he stepped into the canyon narrows, where he used two zipline-like wires to cross to the other side of the canyon hall. Just as he reached the door, those pink gates closed over it. A ghost was out and about!

"Show yourself!" shouted Luigi.

Ghostly laughter answered him.

He tiptoed toward one of the crates, vacuuming up a gold bar—and that was when a Sneaker popped out.

Luigi jumped back, cursing. But the Sneaker didn't get far before the man in green stunned them. The best they could do was drag Luigi all around the canyon hall. Eventually, Luigi planted his feet and sent the Sneaker into the Poltergust where they belonged.

He noticed a door to his right and went through it, trudging up the canyon stairs, snagging a ruby and detonating a Robomb which made short work of some more debris. Before he could explore further, the Dual Scream rang.

"Yello?"

"Good going, Luigi!" gushed Gadd. "It seems you just unblocked the original entrance from the other side! Once we clear out the ghosts, I'll be able to explore the underground myself."

"Hoping to find a lost artifact?" asked Luigi.

"_That_ would be something," said Gadd, "but for now, you've got to get back down there and find those clock hands."

"_Ciao_," said Luigi before hanging up and continuing his search.

In a roundhouse pit, Luigi uncovered and detonated some bombs hiding in the trash bins, all the while fending off some green beetles. By yanking on a metal chain, he broke down a wall to reveal a door on the other side of the pit. Then, the Dual Scream went off again.

Luigi sighed. "Yello?"

"Lu_gi! Can y_u hear me?"

"You're starting to break up," said Luigi.

"You must be v_ry deep undergr_nd," Gadd went on.

"Yeah, you think?"

"See th_t tunnel? It seems the Old Clockw_ks was built d_rectly above an anci_nt archeological site."

"Whoa," breathed Luigi.

"Be ca_ful. Who kn_ws what things you'll find down th_re?"

"Hopefully, the clock hands will be one of them," said Luigi. "_Ciao_."

He hung up and ventured over to a nearby sarcophagus. As he opened it to check for anything valuable, bandages like those used for mummification snarled around his body and yanked him inside!

Fighting against his bonds and struggling to stay calm, Luigi watched as a Boo and a Hider floated into the room, the latter carrying a bomb. After the Hider placed the bomb on the ground and left, the Boo cast some Spirit Balls and disappeared. At that point, Luigi managed to break out of the sarcophagus and disentangle the bandages from his body.

"J—s C—st," he muttered as he pushed through the door and accessed a pit slide.

He jumped at the sound of a muffled avalanche. Then, he flopped onto his stomach and slid down the sandy slope, collecting coins and gold bars along the way. When he reached the bottom, he brushed himself off and found a golden bone in a large vase before stepping into a quarry.

Sand poured in through a hole in the ceiling, and higher up in the quarry was a door. Once he noticed a minecart, Luigi formulated a plan, tugging the minecart toward the pouring sand. But once it was in place, a Greenie emerged from the cart!

As sand began to fill the area, Luigi faced off against the Greenie, and then battled and caught several more Greenies, most of the batch armed with shovels. At least one Greenie was gold and yielded additional treasure upon capture. And after he'd defeated the Greenies, he had to fight some Sneakers who loved burrowing around in the sand. By the time all of the ghosts were subdued, Luigi was bruised, rattled and had sand in his eyes. But at least he could access the next door.

But part of a bridge was missing, hidden by Spirit Balls. And after Luigi drew out and vacuumed those Spirit Balls, the Boo he'd seen earlier confronted him!

"Boo ha ha!" cackled the Boo. "I'm Bootine—with extra gravy!"

Rolling his eyes, Luigi sent Bootine bouncing all over the quarry before wrestling them into the Poltergust.

The door opened into an antechamber, and Luigi paused. It was completely dark, save for his flashlight and a few torches burning along the walls. Spiderwebs blocked the passageway, but there was also a web ball, which he set afire and used to clear the obstructions.

At the end of the antechamber was a tomb, and Luigi started thinking about the _Indiana Jones_ movies he'd seen. He hoped against hope that he wouldn't come across a cursed artifact and unintentionally doom the universe, or that he wouldn't wind up trying to outrun a giant stone ball. But since ghosts were out and about…

Another sarcophagus was in front of him, and he cautiously pushed open the lid. However, his apprehensive expression changed to a joyful one when he saw one of the clock hands float up.

"Okay, that's one of them," he breathed, "but where's the other?"

Luigi reached out to take the clock hand, only for it to tilt to the side. Frowning, Luigi tried again, getting the same result. And then a Poltergeist emerged, holding up the clock hand and cackling. This Poltergeist was different from the one in the Gloomy Manor's library, with a blue hue instead of a yellowish one.

Laughing, the Poltergeist flew off into the antechamber. Luigi was about to give pursuit when he heard a strange noise.

"What the…?"

He screamed out as a mummified hand burst from the sand below him. Slowly, a mummy pulled themselves to the surface with a low groan, followed by two more. Luigi was now in bad trouble—the Poltergust wasn't equipped to deal with mummies! As the mummies shambled toward him, he spat out a curse and wildly flashed his Strobulb at them, and to his surprise, they were sent staggering in different directions, one of them walking straight into a wall and falling onto the sand.

One of their bandages was loose.

Seizing the opportunity, Luigi gave the bandage's loose end a sharp tug, unraveling the mummy. But instead of a rotting corpse—he found a Greenie on stilts!

_Way too close_, Luigi thought, hefting the Poltergust and taking on the remaining two "mummies".

The "mummies" could attack by barreling into him, and if that wasn't enough, then those beetles started springing up all over the tomb, nipping at him. He ignored them, trying to get the "mummies" to stumble into the walls or one of the torches on either side of the room. Even with the beetles, defeating those "mummies" was rather easy. However, his skin was itchy from the beetle bites.

The Dual Scream rang.

"Lu_gi! Are you all r_ght?" asked Gadd.

"Yeah," said Luigi. "These beetles are immune to my bug repellant, though."

"Did y_ see that big-headed ghost? They ran off wi_ the clock hands we're look_g for!"

"I was about to go after them," said Luigi, "but then these Greenies disguised as mummies attacked me."

"We need to track th_ down," said Gadd. "I'll pix_port you back so we c_n regroup."

"_Ciao_," said Luigi, wiping his brow and waiting for the Pixelator to work its magic.

**…**

"Good job down there, my boy," said Gadd. "I must say, though—those ghosts pretending to be mummies? What a hoot!"

"I certainly wasn't laughing," said Luigi. "Until I figured out that they were just Greenies on stilts, I thought I was gonna die in there."

"So did I," said Fred.

"All right," said Gadd. "Let's send the clever little rascals to the Vault, eh?"

"I couldn't agree more," said Luigi, emptying the Poltergust.

"I have some iced tea waiting for you in the lounge," said Gadd, "along with some ointment for those beetle bites."

"Thanks, Professor," said Luigi.

"However," Gadd continued, "that big-headed Poltergeist—the one that took the clock hands—could be a problem."

"How so?" asked Luigi.

"The Parascope went crazy when he appeared, so he must be very powerful," said Gadd.

"On the bright side, that very power will allow us to track him down!" Fred chimed in. "How about you relax in the lounge while we scan the Old Clockworks?"

"I'll leave you to it," said Luigi.

He strode into the lounge, poured himself a tall glass of iced tea and plunked himself onto a sofa before ministering to the beetle bites.

Then, he took out his phone to check on the situation with Mario.

**Please R&R.**


	20. C-3: Roundhouse Brawl

Moments later, Luigi strode out of the lounge, looking stressed. There were some disturbing new developments regarding what might have happened with Mario. The responding officers had obtained permission to enter Mario's home and found signs of a struggle. Whoever attacked him had no doubt gained his trust beforehand. But who in the MK would want to hurt their main protector? And what if the perp wasn't a resident of the MK—what if they were a malicious person in disguise?

These questions and more whirled in Luigi's mind as he approached Gadd. The professor turned and saw his mentee's pale and sweaty face.

"Is something the matter?" he asked with concern.

"I just—I just need something to do right now," said Luigi.

"Is it Mario-related?"

"They found signs of a struggle at his place," Luigi explained. "They're trying to figure out the who and the what. Professor—I'm worried about Mario. By the time they piece together what happened, it could be too late."

Gadd laid a hand on Luigi's shoulder. "Maybe not," he said. "Mario could be fighting for a way out of that situation as we speak. And maybe the authorities can crack the case in time."

"Hope so," said Luigi, "but part of me thinks he's in really bad trouble. I can barely sit still in the lounge because of the thought." He cleared his throat. "Have you found the Poltergeist that took the clock hands yet?"

"I did, thanks to the Parascope," replied Gadd. "The Poltergeist's signal is different than other ghosts. I suspect that we may be dealing with—an Ancient Poltergeist!"

"An Ancient Poltergeist," repeated Luigi. "Are they stronger than regular Poltergeists?"

"And how," chuckled Gadd. "This is some next-level [bleep], Luigi. Capturing an ancient ghost would make for groundbreaking research."

His fingers flew across his keyboard. "Okay—they seem to have settled in the roundhouse," he said as Luigi checked the map on the Dual Scream. "Be very careful in there. Ghosts tend to gain power over time, and this Poltergeist seems to be absolutely ancient."

Luigi bit his lip. "I could use the challenge right about now," he said.

"I guess you could say—he has a lot of time on his hands!" quipped Gadd, eliciting a brief laugh from the man in green.

"Right—because he has the clock hands," said Luigi. "Interesting joke, Professor. But levity is definitely needed in a tense situation, so—thanks."

"You're welcome," said Gadd before activating the Pixelator.

**…**

This time, the Pixelator deposited Luigi in the warehouse, and for the second time, he managed to land on his feet. He was getting used to this! However, he gave himself a limited amount of time to dwell on that thought. The sooner he reached the roundhouse, the sooner he could claim the clock hands and the sooner he could nab the next Dark Moon piece. Then, he could investigate what happened to Mario.

One end of the warehouse was covered in spiderwebs, and there were no web balls in sight. Nor was there a source of flame. Luigi's eye fell on a couple of Robombs, and he was struck with an idea. After activating them, he led them over to the webbing, which the resulting detonations burned away. Clearing the spiderwebs revealed a safe which contained golden spiders, which disappeared into gold bars when flashed with the Strobulb. There were also more of those ribbons, which Luigi unraveled to earn more treasure. Finally, he boarded the lift which took him to the second floor of the warehouse.

There was a door blocked by debris, and a Robomb next to it. Detonating the Robomb took care of the debris, but then Luigi noticed that a toolbox was moving. Curious, he chased the toolbox until it was stopped by a pile of crates, and when he opened it, a Gold Greenie surprised him. After a brief battle, Luigi vacuumed up the Gold Greenie, collected more treasure and snagged yet another ribbon, which he unraveled downstairs, yielding some coins and dollar bills. Then, he proceeded back upstairs and into the clockmaker's chambers.

A fan-like contraption was on the floor, concealed by a rug, and someone was fast asleep in the bed. Beside the bed was an alarm clock set to go off at 9:00.

Luigi quickly discovered that the fan controlled the LED clock next to the alarm, using his vacuum to spin the fan until the clock read 9:00. The alarm trilled, and a Greenie wearing a wooden bucket on their head bolted upright, flying smack into the door.

When the bucket fell away, Luigi lined up his Strobulb with the Greenie and then unleashed the flash, capturing them in under a minute. Searching the clockmaker's chambers uncovered another golden bone and a ruby. Once all of the treasure had been collected, Luigi pushed through the door and into the upper level of the roundhouse.

Below him, he saw the Ancient Poltergeist, holding one of the clock hands as he telekinetically levitated a pile of bricks into the air. Luigi stared at them until he heard the Dual Scream ring.

"Yello?"

"There they are, Luigi!" Gadd said excitedly. "But—you'll need to reach the other side of the room to get down there. I know—you can use those beams to get across!"

"I think I got that figured out, Professor," said Luigi, apprehensively eyeing the aforementioned beams.

"Hope you're not afraid of heights, youngster," said Gadd.

"Well—not as I used to be," said Luigi. "_Ciao_."

He hung up, took a deep breath, stepped onto the narrow beam before him and began shuffling across.

It was a harrowing trip. Metal fixtures provided some worrisome obstacles, requiring Luigi to hop from beam to beam. It was—just as fun as it sounded. Luigi's heart drummed and thrummed as he thought about the tightrope acts he saw in the circus—or the gymnasts doing all sorts of stunts on the balance beam and trying to win medals for it. Yeesh. That _definitely_ wasn't him.

His legs were like cooked noodles by the time he made it across. Luigi rested for a minute or so before inching across a third beam to pick up some gold bars and a star-shaped ruby. One last treacherous beam-crossing later, he reached the door on the other side of the roundhouse, which shut in his face, startling him. However, he was able to walk through the door without incident, subverting his expectations.

As he started down the transportation hall, he yelped when he saw a Boo at the other end, affixing a portrait to the wall. Then, the Boo turned, looked him square in the face and laughed that high-pitched, creepy laugh before lazily floating off.

"J—s," breathed Luigi, wiping his brow.

He was puzzled and perplexed to discover that the transportation hall's floor acted like a treadmill. In order to get across, he'd have to go through the various doors scattered on each side. Luigi decided to start with the door to the finishing room.

Inside the finishing room, Luigi yanked away a sheet to reveal another strange portal which sucked him into a maze with red coins, which he had to collect in 15 seconds or less. He reached the end of the maze just as time was running out and was rewarded with a treasure chest containing several gold bars.

"Oh, yeah!" he cheered before he was transported back to the finishing room.

There, some Greenies in welding masks confronted him, leading to yet another ghostly fray. Luigi easily vacuumed them up and then continued into a container yard.

A large crate in front of him shuddered, and then burst open in a shower of splinters to reveal a Slammer. After this Slammer came another Slammer, and after Luigi defeated them, he saw a machine which dispensed Robombs with a tug of a chain. Using this machine, Luigi lowered a drawbridge to reach the other side of the room, and then detonated the Robombs to release the extra weight and create another bridge to the exit.

From there, Luigi accessed a kiln room, which was clouded with steam. There were two wheels in this room, one hidden by Spirit Balls, and blowing on them disabled the air flow. Then, he could simply vacuum up the steam, allowing him to flash the Strobulb at a green panel, which opened up a secret passageway. Before he could do anything else, two Greenies surprised him, followed by the Boo!

"Boodonkulous is in the building!" chortled the Boo. "My name makes no sense…"

In short order, Luigi captured the Greenies, sucked up Boodonkulous and finally reached the end of the transportation hall, where he used the DLD to draw a key from the monochrome portrait he saw Boodonkulous affix earlier. This key unlocked the door to the roundhouse's lower level. Steeling his shoulders, Luigi headed downstairs to confront the Ancient Poltergeist.

When Luigi finally reached his destination, the Ancient Poltergeist cackled, telekinetically spun a sand pit with a railroad track on it and then disappeared into said pit, creating a sand whirl. Luigi waited for the powerful ghost to reemerge and went on the attack with a Strobulb flash, and then the roundhouse brawl was on!

During this tussle, Sneakers frequently spawned to aid the Ancient Poltergeist, briefly giving them the upper hand with their powerful scares. This would force Luigi to confront the Sneakers and allow the Ancient Poltergeist to safely get in a few hits. In addition to burrowing in sand, they'd chuck bombs and bricks at Luigi, and while the former projectiles were relatively easy to dodge, the latter projectiles pelted him all over his body. But at least it gave his mind something to focus on so it would stop racing wildly. By now, he was starting to think that this bizarre incident with Mario was far from a coincidence.

The nervous energy helped Luigi prevail over the Ancient Poltergeist, and the clock hand—more specifically, the minute hand—was his prize. After lowering a tilted bridge, Luigi picked up the minute hand, examined it and slipped it into his pocket as the Dual Scream rang.

"Yello?"

"Good going, Luigi! I knew you had it in you," said Gadd. "You recovered the clock hands, and you captured the Ancient Poltergeist! I don't know any other plumber who can put that on their resumé!"

Luigi blushed.

"Let's get you back here," said Gadd. "I don't want that Poltergeist escaping from the Poltergust 5000! Hold on…"

"_Ciao_. See you soon."

**…**

"Well done, my boy! Well done," said Gadd. "That Poltergeist's telekinetic power was no match for the Poltergust 5000! Oh, and your—ah—tremendous strength and courage, of course."

Luigi rolled his eyes as he emptied the Poltergust.

"Now, let's see those clock hands," said Gadd.

"Well—I only have the minute hand on me right now," said Luigi as he relinquished the hard-earned clock hand to Gadd.

"Goodness! Where's the hour hand?"

"Beats me," said Luigi.

"Well—one hand is better than no hands, I suppose," mused Gadd.

"But where could that other hand be?" asked Fred.

"I'll try to come up with a plan to find the missing hour hand," said Gadd. "In the meantime, why don't you go wash up? The ghostly goo smell coming from your overalls is making me a little woozy."

"Okeydokey then," said Luigi, sliding off the Poltergust and heading to the washroom.

He could really use a shower, anyway…

**Please R&R.**


	21. C-4: Play Catch

It was five sweet minutes as Luigi stood in the shower, washing the stink of his adventure so far off of him and relaxing. That roundhouse brawl had left some bruises on him, but those bruises would fade in time. The memory, however—was a different story.

_"Nothing's been the same since the mansion," Mario had confided in him a few months after that night in 2001. "You experience things—and then they're over, and you still can't explain them. Boos, illusions, portrait prisons and a character more hateful than Koopa himself, and I'm just a little man from Brooklyn. The only reason I didn't succumb to King Boo's torture and torment was you, hands down. I'm the luckiest S.O.B in the Mushroom Kingdom. But Bro—I can't sleep, and when I do, I have nightmares. And yet I'm trying so hard to be the strong one, because I know you're having nightmares, too…"_

_ Luigi had hugged him, and the man in red had clung to him like he was drowning. But the worst was yet to come. Two weeks later, Mario had been rushed to the hospital following a nervous breakdown, and when Luigi was summoned to the emergency room, he'd been distraught. The next morning, the Bros had finally decided to act and seek therapy. For twelve years and counting, they saw the same therapist once a week. Recently, they were considering cutting their visits down to once every two weeks, since they were starting to feel better about the whole thing._

"And now look at me—back in the belly of the beast," he murmured as he stood under the downpour, completely lathered and now rinsing off the suds. "I could use Mario's comfort right now, but I don't know what happened to him aside from the fact that there was a struggle in his house…"

He started in on his hair, rubbing the shampoo deep into his scalp and inhaling the scent. Then, he turned the water's temperature to as cold as he could bear, tilted back his head, closed his eyes and let the cool spray do the rest. By the time he shut off the water, stepped out of the shower and wrapped a towel around his waist, Luigi was soothed and ready to push on.

Quickly, he dried himself off, combed his hair, and pulled on another short-sleeved shirt, followed by a fresh pair of overalls, socks, boots and his signature green cap. He glanced at his reflection, took a deep breath and strode back out to rejoin Gadd and Fred.

"Ah, Luigi!" greeted Gadd. "Just the man I wanted to see."

"What did I miss?" asked Luigi.

"I tried my hardest, but I wasn't able to locate that missing hour hand," sighed Gadd. "The Parascope can only find paranormal objects, so we're out of luck there."

"But we can't give up," said Luigi. "Without the clock hands, we can't open the Clock Tower Gate and get the next Dark Moon piece."

"Well—we _did_ find something of interest in the clockworks court," said Fred. "A few minor paranormal signals—but a good ghost researcher leaves no stone unturned! We have to start our search somewhere, after all."

"You're right," said Luigi. "I'll check out whatever going on in the clockworks court, and we'll see if we can go from there."

"Good idea," said Gadd. "Are you ready, Luigi? Prepare to be pixelated!"

Luigi sighed deeply.

"There's really nothing to worry about; it's perfectly safe," chuckled Gadd. "You've done this over a dozen times without anything going wrong."

"Nothing's gone wrong _yet_," said Luigi.

"All right, I'm going to push the button now," said Gadd.

"Let's just—get this over with," said Luigi.

Gadd activated the Pixelator, and he and Fred saw Luigi off.

**…**

As soon as Luigi entered the clockworks court, he saw two Greenies playing catch with the hour hand while a third looked on. At first, Luigi hoped to stun the ghosts, grab the hour hand and be done with it. But then, he saw the ghost puppy perched nearby.

_Please, don't_, thought Luigi.

But the universe was against him at the moment, and as one of the Greenies tossed the hour hand to the other, the ghost puppy intercepted the two mid-catch, grabbing the hour hand in their jaws before swallowing it whole. The three Greenies glared at the ghostly puppy, who adorably rolled about on the ground and then disappeared into the factory.

Luigi facepalmed.

"Here I go again," he murmured as he followed the dog inside.

Inside the warehouse, the three Greenies were still sore over the hour hand being taken from them and thus decided to take it out on Luigi. He was able to defeat two of them effortlessly, but the other was protected by a blue shield. Through some frustrating trial and error, he discovered that the shield would break once the Surge meter reached the corresponding color. Once the ghost was captured, Luigi reminded himself to keep an eye out for more shielded ghosts.

Luigi turned on the DLD and began following the trail of spectral paw prints to the workshop, where he found the ghostly pup in one of the cabinets. The puppy bounded onto Luigi and licked his face before racing off, and another Greenie arrived on the scene to laugh at the long-suffering plumber. Luigi flipped them off before continuing his search.

At the Clock Tower Gate, Luigi noticed that the chain to one of the lanterns was missing, uncovering it with the DLD. Just as he did so, out popped a Boo!

"Don't call me GumBoo!" said the Boo. "My name's JamBoolaya!"

Luigi didn't miss a beat, capturing JamBoolaya and resuming his mission, tracking the ghostly pup all the way to the drafting office, collecting some dollar bills and fighting more ghosts along the way. The puppy was hiding in one of the drawers, and when Luigi opened it, they playfully pounced on him for some doggie kisses before fleeing, with the same Greenie following. Luigi gave chase into the warehouse's upper level, where he was finally able to capture the Greenie after breaking their paranormal shield, which was also blue.

He found the paranormal puppy in the clockmaker's chambers, and they gave his face a few more licks before darting to the roundhouse's upper level. Which meant that Luigi had to inch his way across those beams to follow the puppy across. Just as he reached the other side, a Greenie chased the puppy away, and Luigi pursued them into the transportation hall. In the stairwell to the lower level of the roundhouse, he came across another golden bone. Then, he went into the finishing room, where he found the puppy with the Greenie.

The puppy woofed happily and ran off, leaving Luigi to deal with the Greenie, along with two Slammers. The Greenie was protected by a red paranormal shield, and the Slammers were acting as their muscle. Thus, Luigi had to fight the Slammers first before even thinking about approaching the Greenie. By the time the scuffle was finished, Luigi was huffing for breath and cradling his side.

But then, he picked himself up and followed the puppy's pawprints through the container yard to the other side of the transportation hall, where he saw the ghost pup sitting there without a care in the world. Luigi tried sneaking up on them, but just as he reached the puppy, they dashed back into the finishing room, where Luigi finally cornered them.

Just like the first time, the puppy's whimpers sent thrills of guilt coursing through Luigi as he turned the Poltergust on them. But as long as they kept stealing crucial items, he'd have no choice. Luigi braced his backside against the wall and gave his vacuum one last Surge, sending the puppy inside.

Just as he picked up the hour hand, the Dual Scream rang.

"Yello?"

"Nice work, Luigi. That ghostly dog actually did us a favor by snatching the hour hand from those ghosts!"

"Really?"

"Really, really. I'll bring you back in just a second. Hold on."

"_Ciao._" Luigi hung up and did a celebratory leap of victory before he was recalled to the Bunker.

**…**

"Welcome back, youngster!" greeted Gadd. "Great job up there, as usual."

"Thanks," said Luigi.

"Now, would you hand over that handy hour hand?"

"Here you go," said Luigi as he obliged.

"Phew! The dog didn't chew it up." Gadd smiled and examined the hour hand. "After our last ghost-dog incident, I was worried I'd have to repair this thing." Putting the hour hand away, he continued, "You know the drill—let's send those ghosties down to the Vault."

"Okay." Luigi emptied the Poltergust, but as he finished, the nozzle shuddered.

"Not again," groaned Gadd as the ghostly dog burst out of the vacuum and pelted Luigi with happy licks before making good their escape.

"Doggone it!" snapped Gadd as Luigi caught his breath. "I don't get how that little guy manages to escape from the Poltergust 5000!" He pounded a fist on the armrest of his chair. "F—ing dog!"

"Hey—take it easy on Polterpup, all right?" Luigi told him.

"Polterpup?" asked Fred.

"Polterpup?" asked Gadd.

"Yeah—that's what I decided to name him," said Luigi. "That's—not a crime, is it?"

"Oh, dear God," said Gadd. "Fred—Luigi's getting attached to that pooch."

"He is?" asked Fred.

"It's a universal rule of thumb," explained Gadd. "If you name a dog or a cat or even an inanimate object, then that means you're getting attached to them."

"Okay, maybe I _am_ starting to feel attached to Polterpup," said Luigi. "So what?"

"It's just—we still have work to do," said Gadd. "There's one last clock piece missing—the rotor. You'll need it to operate the clock hands and open the Clock Tower Gate. I'll need some time to track it down, so why don't you take a load off?"

"Sounds like a wonderful idea," said Luigi, stalking over to the lounge.

"You know—he _does_ have a point," said Fred. "It's not like the dog's actually trying to hurt him or anything."

"It doesn't change the fact that he's making things difficult for us," Gadd told him.

"Just—cut L some slack, all right?" suggested Fred. "_You_ asked him to deal with this, after all."

"Oh, Fred," sighed Gadd.

**Please R&R.**


	22. C-5: Piece at Last

"Hey there, Luigi," said Fred as he walked into the lounge.

"Hey, Fred."

"As the Professor said, we have both clock hands now. All there's left to find is the rotor."

Luigi set down his plate of food.

"I've sent texts to Chad, Brad, Thad and Conrad," he said, "and still, there are no further developments regarding my bro."

"Have you tried Peach?" suggested Fred.

"Yeah, I sent her a few texts, but she's busy. If she isn't trying to run a kingdom, then she's on the lookout for that turtle."

"Tell me about it," murmured Fred.

"My big brother remains in parts unknown, and I'm about to go crazy with worry—so I do _not_ need to put up with the Professor's b.s. right now."

"About that—he totally agrees with you that Polterpup is cute, but the thing is, regular dogs cause less trouble," said Fred.

"I've always wanted to have a dog," said Luigi. "More specifically, a puppy." He cleared his throat. "Do you guys have some clue where the rotor is located?"

"Not yet, but the Parascope detected plentiful ghostly activity on the east side of the Old Clockworks," said Fred. "Come on—the Professor will tell you about it."

Luigi stood and followed Fred out of the lounge.

"Are you ready to look for the rotor, Luigi?" asked Gadd.

"Do I have to answer?"

"Well, then—Fred and I suspect that the ghosts are keeping it hidden on the east side of the Old Clockworks—which explains the paranormal activity."

"The ghosts practically have that area on lockdown," added Fred. "Luckily, we have a few tricks up our sleeves."

"There's another Pixelator camera in the area in question," said Gadd, "so all I had to do was hack it and adjust the destination!"

"Cool," said Luigi.

"Who knows? Maybe you'll even catch the ghosts off guard!" Fred said cheerily.

"I'd like that," murmured Luigi.

Gadd lowered the fourth monitor. "Here's a picture of the rotor," he said. "Keep an eye out for it."

"Will do," said Luigi.

"Ready, youngster? Give 'em what for!"

"Count on it," said Luigi.

"Oh, and try not to get distracted by thoughts of that ghost puppy," said Gadd, rolling his eyes.

"Yes, _Mom_," Luigi told him.

"Guys," Fred said in a warning tone.

"See you when you get back," Gadd said briskly before activating the Pixelator.

**…**

When Luigi arrived at the east side of the Old Clockworks, the first thing he saw was a Sneaker, holding the rotor. This Sneaker had strange white markings all over their body, giving them a cracked appearance.

"Hey!" cried Luigi.

The Sneaker glowered at him for a few seconds before flying off.

Luigi collected himself, checked his map and saw that he was at a service elevator. There was a large safe nearby, but when he flashed it with his Strobulb, it shuddered before falling several inches.

"Okay, then," murmured Luigi before proceeding into a gear chamber.

He stepped onto a lift which took him to a lower level, and the Sneaker appeared again before disappearing through a wall. Luigi peered through a crack in that wall to see the Sneaker socializing with a Greenie. Then, another Greenie floated by, spotted Luigi and covered up the crack with a brick.

The Dual Scream rang.

"Yello?"

"My God! We need to get you inside that storage room!" exclaimed Gadd.

"You have a way of doing that?" asked Luigi.

"I should've thought of this earlier," said Gadd, "but I hired a Toad assistant to look after the Old Clockworks. His name's Zed, and he may be able to help you. Give me a second to locate him—okay. He apparently went to check on a malfunction in the synchronization room."

"Synchronization room…"

"I can't believe I forgot about him!"

"You've been forgetting a lot of things lately," Luigi heard Fred chime in.

Gadd huffed. "Working for me must be really terrible," he said.

"Aw, it has its moments," said Fred.

"I'll find Zed in no time," said Luigi. "_Ciao_."

He hung up and headed down a stairwell into another lower level, walking across a bridge of crates and through a door which transported him to another of those red coin mazes. This maze also had a fifteen-second time limit, and it was more complex than the previous mazes. He still managed to collect all the coins with a few seconds to spare, and he was rewarded with a chest containing a ruby.

Back in the gear chamber, Luigi pushed through a door into the service elevator, jumping as the safe he'd seen earlier crashed to the floor, sending up a shower of dollar bills. He vacuumed up as many as he could, and then he continued into a maintenance hub. There, he used more of those wires to cross to the other side, and then he stepped onto a large gear, uncovering a hidden door with the DLD. This door opened into a crank room.

Luigi worked his way across, detonating Robombs and revealing hidden gears, which in turn caused all of the gears to start rotating. Using these gears, Luigi could further explore the crank room, making a stop in a small alcove, where he found a Boo.

"Boo! You got me! Nobody hare except Boony Raboot!" cackled the Boo.

It didn't take long for Luigi to capture Boony Raboot, and then he grabbed a golden bone before wandering over to some sort of locker room, where three Slammers were gathered.

He didn't wait for them to notice him, flashing his Strobulb as soon as he was close enough, taking two Slammers by surprise. However, the third one attacked with a shockwave blast that slammed Luigi against a wall and jarred his grip, allowing the two Slammers to escape. Luigi shook off the pain and went back on the attack, capturing all three Slammers after two more tries.

During the struggle, one of the lockers had opened, and there was a key floating inside. Luigi pocketed the key before checking the other lockers for anything salvageable, coming upon a Gold Greenie. After defeating them, he went back into the maintenance hub, where he unlocked the door to the synchro gantry.

In the synchro gantry was a contraption with a lever. When Luigi pulled on that lever, the gears turned, and a bird like the one you'd find on a cuckoo clock popped out, picked him up and deposited him on a walkway. From there, he finally reached the synchronization room.

And then, he found Zed.

Like Fred, he was frozen in a portrait, mouth open in a scream. In front of the portrait were three gears. Luigi reasoned that if there was some way to turn those gears, then he could create a walkway enabling him to reach that portrait and free Zed.

Luckily, there were three rotors, one of them hidden, each of them controlling one of the gears. Using the vacuum, Luigi turned each of the rotors until the gears' spokes were no longer obstructing his access to the portrait. Then, he hurried across the newly-created walkway and shone the DLD on the portrait, releasing Zed.

Zed was none the worse for wear, save for some dirt and bruises. As soon as he got to his feet, he gave a joyful cry.

"Lu—Luigi?! THE Luigi? AAAAAAH!" he cried. Composing himself, he went on, "Um—it's an honor to finally meet you, sir. I'm a huge fan!"

Luigi blushed as he shook Zed's hand. "It's an honor to meet you, too. Professor Gadd told me to meet you here."

"J—s. I was sure he'd forgotten about me," said Zed.

"He almost did," said Luigi. "The rotor to the Clock Tower Gate is missing, and maybe you can help me find it. I saw a Sneaker take it to the storage room."

"Storage room, huh? Okay, let's go take a look! But first, there's—something you should know about me."

"What's that?" asked Luigi.

"I—I have an irrational fear of clocks," Zed confessed, looking at his feet.

Luigi was outraged. "Then why in the Inferno does Professor Gadd have you working here?!" he demanded.

"It's not his fault," Zed told him. "I asked him to station me here."

"Why?"

"Because—I wanna be like you," Zed confessed. "I thought that I could beat back this stupid fear by volunteering to watch over Old Clockworks. Just like you were able to beat back your fear of ghosts to save Mario. Your actions have inspired a lot of people, myself included."

"Wow," said Luigi. "I'm—flattered."

"I didn't know it would be so hard, though," said Zed.

"It's hard, but it's doable," said Luigi.

"In the meantime, though, you'll have to keep me away from any large clocks or gears," said Zed.

"I can do that," said Luigi.

"Okay!" chirped Zed. Then, he shuddered. "D—n, this place gives me the creeps…"

Luigi suctioned Zed onto the Poltergust's nozzle and carried him across the gears onto safe ground. Just as they reached the door, the rotors began spinning wildly, and those gates trapped the duo inside. Luigi heard some Greenies laughing and turned to Zed.

"Don't be afraid," he said. "I'm gonna get you out of this."

Zed nodded, and then Luigi crept forward, stunning two Greenies with a powerful Strobulb flash. One Greenie had a green paranormal shield, and the other had a red paranormal shield. The man in green rocked back on his heels and waited until the Surge meter flashed red before pressing the red button, shattering both paranormal shields. One more Surge sucked the Greenies into the Poltergust.

"Wicked cool!" cheered Zed.

"I know, right?" smiled Luigi.

Zed took Luigi's hand, and they walked into the synchro gantry together. The yellow-spotted Toad's eyes widened, but then Luigi stuck him back onto the vacuum's nozzle, which calmed him.

"Hey—there's a conveyor belt over there," he said, pointing it out to Luigi. "See if you can shoot me onto it!"

Luigi waited for a gate to lower before taking aim and launching Zed onto the conveyor belt. Zed laughed and enjoyed the ride, while Luigi used the cuckoo clock to reach the exit.

He heard Zed yelp, glancing up to see a Greenie bothering him.

"Hey!" he barked. "You leave him alone!"

Just as he stunned the Greenie, a second Greenie distracted him. Fortunately, he'd diverted both of their attention from Zed, allowing him to hop off the conveyor belt and take cover. Zed watched in awe as Luigi battled the Greenies, laughing as he sucked them into his trusty ghost vacuum.

"Thank you," Zed said when the battle was over.

"You're welcome," Luigi warmly replied.

They went into the maintenance hub, where Luigi carried Zed across the large gear and launched him to the door at the other end. Some exploration below the large gear uncovered a ruby and some coins, and a spring launched him back onto the gear. But then, the walkways suddenly rolled up, two more Greenies arriving on the scene. These Greenies were armed with metal plates, and Luigi had to wait for them to attack first before finding an opening and stunning them. He was able to capture them without difficulty before using those wires to join Zed and usher him into the gear chamber.

As they stepped onto the sandy ground, the Sneaker Luigi had seen earlier jumped into their faces, startling them both. More of those gates slammed down, and the Sneaker retreated to a corner of the room, summoning a trio of Sneakers to attack Luigi and Zed.

"Stay behind me," Luigi instructed Zed before facing the Greenies.

He held down the Strobulb and flashed it at the first Greenie he saw, quickly capturing them before doing the same to their two buddies.

Laughing, the Sneaker summoned three more Greenies. This trio came armed with shovels, making for a more difficult fight. They tried to get at Zed, but Luigi wouldn't let them, taking many a jab from their shovels as he captured them one at a time. The shovels left cuts which stung and drooled blood, but his mind was on one thing, and one thing only—protecting Zed.

After defeating the second Greenie trio, Luigi next had to deal with another trio of Greenies who announced their entrance by bursting out from under the sand. These Greenies were protected by paranormal shields, two of them red and the third one green, and he had to dodge attacks while trying to break these shields. But once the shields were shattered, the Greenies had a small amount of HP and were captured in no time.

"Luigi…" breathed Zed.

"It's all right," said Luigi. "I'm all right."

Three mummies then dug themselves from the sandy ground. Zed cursed, but Luigi set his face, knowing that these "mummies" were simply Greenies on stilts.

"How are you gonna beat _them_?" hissed Zed.

"Watch this," said Luigi.

With several precise Strobulb flashes, he tricked the three mummies into colliding with each other, knocking them into the sand. He managed to yank the bandages off of one of them before the other two got to their feet. And then those green beetles joined the fray.

Luigi kept his cool, stunning the beetles and sending the "mummies" stumbling into the bridge of crates, incapacitating them long enough for him to pull off their bandages.

"These are some pretty smart ghosts," mused Zed.

"Yup," said Luigi as he stunned and then captured the Greenies.

The Sneaker hissed as they dove onto the battlefield. Luigi and Zed dodged the initial charge, but then the Sneaker swooped in again, grabbing the latter and hoisting him aloft.

Zed kicked and twisted, but the Sneaker's hold was iron.

"Put him down!" snapped Luigi.

"Flash him, Luigi!" shouted Zed. "Flash him!"

"I can't—he'll use you to block the Strobulb!"

"Don't worry about me, Luigi! Just get this S.O.B.!"

The Sneaker lowered Zed in order to taunt Luigi, and the ghost hunter saw his chance. He nailed the Sneaker with a Strobulb flash, allowing Zed to break free and land harmlessly on the sand.

Zed whooped. "Now we're even!" he cried.

As Luigi engaged the Sneaker, he found out that they were stronger than the previous Sneakers he'd encountered. They had more HP and could escape the suction easier. They'd try to grab Zed again, but the Toad was way too fast for them, Luigi constantly darting between the ghost and their mark. Eventually, Zed grabbed Luigi around the waist and pulled, giving more horsepower in the tug-of-war against the Sneaker.

Finally, the Sneaker's HP was depleted, Luigi vacuuming them up with one powerful Surge. He stood there, gasping, heart racing, sweat trickling into his eyes and mouth.

"Zed," he spoke after a while. "Are you hurt?"

"No," replied Zed, "but _you_ are."

"Better me than you," said Luigi as the Dual Scream rang.

He stepped aside to answer it. "Yello?"

"Well done, Luigi," said Gadd. "You really taught that ghost a lesson!"

"They looked different than the other ghosts," observed Fred. "I wonder why…"

"They had white markings on them," said Luigi, "and I think those marking made them more powerful."

"Let's hope they didn't hide that rotor too well," said Gadd. "Get to searching!"

"_Ciao_," said Luigi.

He hung up and turned back to Zed. "C'mon," he said.

Luigi led Zed to the gear chamber's upper level, and then he launched the Toad onto one of the lifts. Zed's weight lowered it, allowing Luigi to enter the storage room. After yanking away a sheet, he discovered a passageway too small for him to access, but big enough for a Toad to fit.

"I see the rotor!" Zed cried. "Launch me in there, and I'll grab it for you!"

Luigi obliged, and then he dashed downstairs to meet Zed at the bottom.

Zed held out the rotor in triumph. "Found it!" he sang out.

Luigi took the rotor and high-fived Zed. "Great job!"

"Ugh—I can't believe I touched it," said Zed. "I feel sick. But now you have what you've come for, can you please take me back to the service elevator? There's a Pixelator Screen in there."

"Sure," said Luigi.

"Perfect—I can't wait to get out of this place," said Zed.

Together, Luigi and Zed walked out of the storage room, through the gear chamber and into the service elevator.

"Look! I see a ruby and some gold bars!" said Zed, pointing to a small catwalk across from them.

So, Luigi launched Zed to the catwalk and watched as the Toad gathered up all of the treasure. A spring bounced Zed toward the Pixelator Screen, and he handed the gold bars and ruby to Luigi, earning another high-five.

"Thanks," said Luigi.

He strode up to the Pixelator Screen and pulled the lever.

"See you in the Bunker, Luigi!" laughed Zed.

"See ya!" replied Luigi as he watched Zed go.

Shortly after Zed's departure, the Dual Scream rang.

"Yello?"

"Thanks for rescuing Zed, Luigi," said Gadd. "He's very eager to catch up with Fred. And nice work tracking that rotor down."

"Zed helped me," said Luigi, "but thank you."

"Hold on a sec. I'll bring you back."

"_Ciao._"

Luigi hung up and did a victory dance before he was transported out of the service elevator.

**…**

"Fine work, my boy!" congratulated Gadd. "You handled that well."

"What can I say?" asked Luigi. "I think I'm getting used to this."

He emptied the Poltergust into the Vault as he spoke.

"You said that the Sneaker you caught was more powerful than the others," said Gadd when he was finished.

"Yeah. They had more HP, and they were more likely to break free from the suction."

"And they had strange marks all over them," said Zed.

"Peculiar," Fred chimed in.

Turning to Zed, he asked, "Did Boos trap you in the painting, too?"

"Yeah," replied Zed. "As you can see, I didn't make it easy for them."

"Neither did I," crowed Fred.

"I'm just glad that I wasn't completely helpless," said Zed. "After Luigi freed me, I was able to assist him."

Luigi took out the rotor. "Do you need to examine this or something?" he asked Gadd.

"Keep it," Gadd replied. "You'll need it for the next mission."

Luigi nodded and slipped the gear into his pocket.

"We're finally ready to open the Clock Tower Gate and climb up to the top," said Gadd. "But first, there's something we need to review!"

"What is it?"

"Zed also had a snapshot from my tridimensional security camera with him," Gadd explained. "It was taken pretty recently, too. Hopefully it'll give us some useful information."

"Like whoever broke the Dark Moon in the first place?"

"Hope so," said Gadd. "I'll go ahead and process it now. Let me know when you're ready to look at it."

"All right," said Luigi, turning on his heel and walking back into the lounge, Fred and Zed trailing behind him.

**Please R&R.**


	23. Showtime

After filling up on some mac and cheese, Luigi was ready to examine the security camera image that Zed had brought back. When Gadd displayed the image on the monitor, one of the first things Luigi saw was the Possessor ghost he'd encountered when he first arrived at the Old Clockworks. And by now, he'd understood that where there was a Possessor, a Dark Moon piece wasn't far behind.

"That area is just behind the Clock Tower Gate!" exclaimed Gadd.

"And there's one of those Possessors," Fred chimed in. "I can see a Dark Moon piece inside them!"

"That Possessor and those other ghosts seem to be headed to the top of the tower," said Zed. "Luigi, you need to follow them if you want that Dark Moon piece back!"

Gadd stepped back, allowing Luigi to use the console to zoom in, zoom out and pan along the security image as needed. Everyone in the Bunker was surprised at the number of Boos filling the shot.

"How strange…" murmured Gadd. "They seem to get along with the Possessor ghosts. Boos don't usually get along well with other powerful ghosts, but if they're willing to make an exception…"

"…then that means trouble," finished Luigi. "The Boos have something planned, and the Possessors are in on it. I don't know if they willingly volunteered, or if the Boos threatened them, but the Boos must be desperate if they're willing to set aside their animosity towards powerful ghosts."

On lower right corner of the image, a Boo cast more of those Spirit Balls.

"Who gave them that ability?" asked Gadd. "They can't have just started doing that on their own."

"I didn't know they could do that, either," said Luigi. "It must be a relatively new power."

But then, his attention was drawn toward the center of the image. Some more Boos floated around, carrying that portrait in a sack. Luigi squinted—he thought he could see a hat in that portrait—a hat with a "M" on it. No, no—he had to be seeing things.

"Oh, my God—is that a painting in that sack?" asked Fred.

"And why are the Boos guarding it so closely?" added Zed.

"Wait a minute—there's something familiar about that cap!" Gadd exclaimed.

Luigi felt sick.

"Excuse me," he said.

Stepping away, Luigi whipped out his phone and sent Mario another voicemail before texting Chad, Brad, Thad and Conrad.

Gadd faced his two Toad Assistants. "Did you see that glow coming from outside the limits of the image?" he asked.

Fred and Zed nodded.

"Something about that glow gives me a very bad feeling!" Gadd told them. "It's almost like there's an evil presence ordering the Possessors to guard the Dark Moon pieces."

"You mean—they're being brainwashed?" asked Zed.

"They could be," shuddered Gadd. "And not just them—this evil presence could also be brainwashing all of the ghosts in Evershade Valley."

Silence. Luigi finished his phone calls and texts and rejoined Gadd and the Toads.

"We need to get to the top of that Clock Tower ASAP," said Gadd.

I _need to get to the top of the Clock Tower_, Luigi mentally corrected.

"I trust you've still got that rotor on you?"

"I do," replied Luigi, holding up the item in question.

"Excellent! You'll need to install it near the big clock face," Gadd told him. "And here—don't forget our precious clock hands." The scientist handed Luigi the hour and minute hands as he spoke.

Luigi stowed everything away as Gadd laughed.

"It's a good thing you have such deep pockets in those overalls!" he said brightly.

"Tell me about it," said Luigi.

"All right, youngster," said Gadd. "It's showtime! Get to the top of the Clock Tower, and find that Dark Moon piece."

"You should have your guard up, too," added Zed. "The Possessor ghost is likely at the top of the tower."

"Be careful, and look lively!" Fred sang out.

"Okay," said Luigi.

"We believe in you!" Fred and Zed said in unison as Gadd activated the Pixelator.

**…**

When Luigi arrived at the Clock Tower Gate, he used his old mechanic skills to repair it. First, he attached the clock hands to the large clock face. Then, he screwed the rotor in the slot next to it. As soon as the rotor was in place, both hands automatically moved to the twelve o'clock position.

"Okay," he said. "Now how do I open it?"

Luigi glanced around for clues and saw a smaller clock which read 7:30. Deciding to give it a shot, he spun the rotor until the clock hands on the gate matched the time given on the smaller clock. Smoothly, the gate lifted to reveal a door which took Luigi into the movements.

The place was teeming with gears and rotors, and Luigi found that the latter would raise the long platform he was currently standing on. Using his vacuum to blow on the rotors, Luigi slowly ascended to the top of the clock tower, finding gold coins, gold bars, dollar bills and even one last ruby along the way. He realized that he should've taken a dump before Gadd sent him on this mission. Whatever the Possessor had in mind, Luigi was definitely not looking forward to it. Shaking his head, he plugged in his earbuds and found a good playlist on Spotify to psych himself up.

When Luigi reached the top of the movements, he walked through a door into the belfry. A mountain of crates was on either side of him, but he paid them no mind, striding purposefully toward the ladder up ahead. However, he didn't account for the spring in front of the ladder, which catapulted him out of a small door and into the starry sky. His limbs flailed, and he screamed as he tumbled up into space—and then back down onto what appeared to be the belfry clock. Fortunately, he emerged more stunned than injured.

"Wow…" Luigi breathed as he got to his feet and studied his surroundings. The belfry clock was massive, powered by the myriad of gears which constantly turned. Mounted atop the belfry clock was a large birdhouse, presumably reserved for the wooden cuckoo.

He reached over and closed the door he'd been launched out of, only for the Possessor to fly out and confront him. Laughing, the Possessor circled Luigi a few times before hovering over the belfry clock and casting some sort of magic upon it. Gasping, Luigi jumped back as the clock's hands started winding backwards, the numbers on the clock face disappearing. Then, the Possessor gave one final laugh before darting into the birdhouse.

Recovering, Luigi took a step forward, only for a loud chime to make him jump. The long minute hand swung around once, so that the belfry clock read 1:00. A single Greenie flew out of the space where the "1" should be and started in on Luigi. Quickly, Luigi stunned them and sucked them into the Poltergust, and then he watched in awe as the "1" reappeared on the clock. The minute hand swung around again, and three Greenies popped out of where there was once a "2".

The Possessor was possessing the entire belfry clock!

The Greenies giggled as they flew toward Luigi, but he was ready for them. He stunned and captured the first two at once, and then he whirled on the third Greenie as they tried to punch him, dodging the blow and counterattacking with a Strobulb flash. Once all three Greenies were in the Poltergust, the "2" reappeared on the clock, and the minute hand swung around so that the face read 3:00.

Five Greenies emerged from where the "3" should be located and wasted no time surrounding Luigi. He dodged their attacks, and then he turned his Strobulb on the first Greenies he saw. These skirmishes were getting harder, and since the minute hand was ticking around the clock throughout, Luigi reasoned that he had only a minute to win each round.

Darting about the clock face, Luigi took a few sharp blows from the Greenies before managing to outsmart them. The "3" reappeared on the clock face, and then the minute hand swung round so that the clock read 4:00.

This time, Luigi was greeted by two Slammers who attacked the second they saw him. The man in green found himself buffeted around the belfry clock, only managing to get in one good Surge before they broke free of the suction. He didn't really know if he could defeat these two in one minute. However, he soon discovered that he could "cheat" a little by manipulating the minute hand with his vacuum, giving himself extra or less time as desired. That was good to know.

He was breaking a sweat by the time he wrestled the Slammers into the Poltergust. But there was no time to rest. After the "4" reappeared on the clock face, the Possessor burst out of the birdhouse, formed a paranormal shield around themselves and charged at Luigi. He leaped, slid and cartwheeled aside, waiting for the Possessor to drop their shield, and then let the Poltergust rip, vacuuming away his opponent's first layer of skin.

The Possessor retreated into the birdhouse, and it all began again.

At 5:00, sand filled the area, and those green beetles accosted Luigi. He was able to stun most of them into submission before they reached him, but a lucky few managed to escape and get in a few good nips before he subdued them with the Strobulb. When he was finished, the sand disappeared, and the "5" rematerialized on the clock face before the clock hands transitioned into the next hour.

6:00 arrived with sand and a trio of Sneakers. Luigi was able to stun all three of them at once, but they soon tore themselves free before flying off in different directions. He could uncover them with his DLD, but they still managed to occasionally sneak up on him for a powerful scare. He had to vacuum the minute hand backward at least twice before he managed to defeat the Sneakers.

But it would only get harder. 7:00 arrived with three Greenies armed with hammers and shields, using both to knock Luigi sprawling. They'd only be open to an attack for a pitifully small amount of time after finishing their attacks. Eventually, however, Luigi settled for disarming the trio first before capturing them, emerging with dull aches all over. He swallowed back the pain, caught his breath and awaited the next wave.

8:00 came with three "mummies" shambling after Luigi. He tried to make them trip over the clock hands as well as stumble against the walls, but it was easier said than done. Then, when he finally got the mummies on the ground, he had to unravel their bandages without accidentally pulling the minute hand forward and losing much-needed time. After he yanked the bandages off, capturing the Greenies was a breeze.

The "8" filled in on the clock face, and then the Possessor flew out of the birdhouse to confront Luigi a second time. He evaded their charge until they tired themselves out, and then he pounced, stunning them and vacuuming away their second layer of skin. As the Possessor retreated, both clock hands began to glow red-hot.

9:00 arrived, heralding at least fourteen Beetles, chasing Luigi all over the belfry clock as he stunned as many at a time as he could. Some of them brought about their own downfall by alighting on the glowing clock hands. Still, Luigi wound up with more Beetle bites by the time he defeated them all.

At 10:00, Luigi had to deal with five Creepers, using his DLD to force them out of their puddle state and his Surge to yank them off the floor and into his vacuum. Somehow, they were impervious to the glowing clock hands, and they managed to get him into their gooey embraces several times. And yet, even while dealing with the brunt of this madness, he hadn't even considered bailing. It was out of the question now; he'd made it so far that there was no direction to go but forward.

11:00 came with eleven Robombs, some of which activated upon contact with the glowing clock hands and set off a chain reaction. The next half-minute consisted of Luigi outrunning as many Robomb detonations as he could. Each detonation produced a small shockwave with flung him forward, which helped in its own way. By the time the last Robomb exploded, Luigi was winded and shaken. But he couldn't give up.

12:00 was the grand finale—a nightmarish morass of enemies seemingly without end. First was a Greenie, followed by a Robomb, a Sneaker, five Beetles, a Slammer and then an armed Greenie. Luigi took a breath and dove right into it, taking on the Sneaker and the Slammer before dealing with the Robomb, Beetles and Greenies. If the Slammer and the armed Greenie weren't swiping at him, then the Beetles were nipping him, the unarmed Greenie was throwing punches at him and the detonating Robomb practically threw him off his feet. He got up quickly, though, focusing on clearing out the rest of his adversaries, taking slow, deep breaths through his nostrils as he vacuumed up the ghosts one-by-one.

As soon as the 12 was filled in on the belfry clock, the Possessor practically threw themselves at Luigi, ramming him during their first charge and landing a glancing blow during their second charge. The man in green wrenched himself erect and stunned this overset Possessor the second they dropped their shield. And with a satisfying Surge, the Possessor was sucked into the vacuum, the third Dark Moon piece violently expelling itself from the nozzle and landing with a _tinkle_ on the now-cooled minute hand.

Luigi sat there for a few moments, catching his breath. Adrenaline still buzzed through his nerves as he got to his feet and walked over to the Dark Moon piece.

"All right!" he cheered as he plucked the shard from the minute hand. "I got it!"

He tucked the Dark Moon piece into his pocket as the Dual Scream rang.

"Yello?"

"Outstanding, Luigi!" cheered Gadd. "That Possessor didn't stand a chance. Way to make them clock out!"

"Yeah!" Zed agreed. "That was totally wicked!"

"Well, they threw everything but the kitchen sink at me," said Luigi. "Thank God, that didn't stop me from getting the Dark Moon piece."

Gadd nodded his approval. "Hold still," he said. "I'll bring you back."

"_Ciao_."

Luigi sat on the minute hand to rest—only for the wooden bird to pop out of the birdhouse and make him jump.

"Are you kidding?!"

**…**

"Welcome back, Luigi!" Gadd, Fred and Zed shouted in unison when Luigi returned.

"Hi, guys," replied Luigi.

"You were mighty heroic up there, fighting that Possessor," said Gadd. "As a matter of fact, I can actually hear them raging around inside the Poltergust 5000! Let's get them into the Vault quickly."

"You don't have to tell me twice," said Luigi as he emptied the Poltergust.

"The longer the possessor ghosts remain with the Dark Moon pieces, the stronger they seem to get," Gadd said when Luigi was finished. "Good thing I've been working on those upgrades for the Poltergust 5000!"

"They really come in handy," said Luigi. "I'd be a sitting duck without them."

"Anyhoo, that Dark Moon piece has probably been corrupted by dark energy," said Gadd. "Let's get it all cleaned up."

Luigi withdrew the Dark Moon piece from his pocket and placed it on the cleaning device. As the device's many arms wiped away the dark energy, he heard another _whooshing_ sound. More of that purple fog was probably clearing away.

"The more Dark Moon pieces we find, the more I think someone shattered it on purpose!" said Gadd.

"But who?" asked Fred.

"The bigger question is—why?" Zed joined in. "For a cheap laugh?"

"After we get the Dark Moon repaired, we're gonna find out," said Gadd. "In the meantime…" He lowered the fourth monitor, and everyone watched as another location appeared on the map.

"Where…?" breathed Luigi.

"The top of the mountains," Gadd exclaimed. "That's the coldest part of Evershade Valley."

"That means I'm gonna have to bundle up," said Luigi.

"That's the truth of it," said Fred.

"But for now, how about you rest awhile?" suggested Zed.

And Luigi agreed.

**Please R&R.**


	24. Outlandish Interruption

After downing a bag of potato chips and fussing over the wounds he sustained during his fight with that overset Possessor, Luigi was (mostly) ready to go after the next Dark Moon piece. But just as he was about to change into something warmer, Zed walked into the lounge.

"Phew! I'm glad I caught you before you could bundle up," said Zed.

"What's the matter?" asked Luigi.

"The Professor, Fred and I did one last scan of the Old Clockworks with the Parascope," explained Zed, "and we discovered some more paranormal signals."

"Oh, dear," sighed Luigi as he followed Zed out of the lounge.

"The Secret Mine will have to wait," said Gadd as Luigi rejoined him. "We can't let the ghosts reclaim the Old Clockworks!"

"Secret Mine—that's what atop those mountains?" asked Luigi.

"Yes," replied Gadd, "but we need to take care of this outlandish interruption first. You know the drill—capture the ghosts as quickly as possible."

"Okeydokey," said Luigi.

"I'm sorry to say—the signals this time around are even stronger than last time," cautioned Gadd. "Be careful, Luigi."

Luigi took a deep breath and adjusted the Poltergust's straps. "Whoever's gotten ahold of Evershade Valley doesn't want to let go," he mused.

"But we know _you_ can jar their grip," beamed Zed.

"Give them heck, Luigi!" Fred chimed in.

"Just like before, I'll guide you towards the ghosts," said Gadd. "All right, I'll pixelate you on the count of three. Ready?"

"Ready."

"Three!" cried Gadd as he sent Luigi off.

**…**

"Are you f—ing kidding me?!" balked Luigi when he landed in the clockworks court.

"Couldn't resist," Gadd said coyly. "Now, let's see here—got them! Check your map!"

The first round of ghosts was located in the workshop, consisting of Greenies armed with shovels, Greenies wearing welding masks and Slammers. After putting on some up-tempo 90s hits, Luigi launched into battle, utilizing the entire workshop to dodge attacks before counterattacking with the Strobulb. The Greenies with the shovels dealt out the most pain, landing sharp jabs to Luigi's back, shoulders and abdomen, while the Slammers knocked him against walls with their clapping shockwave attacks. Adding to the difficulty were a few of those Beetles, nipping at already-irritated skin. But Luigi used his leftover energy from his confrontation with the Possessor to ride out the pain and defeat them all.

"Yikes—it's just like last time!" shouted Gadd. "Look lively, youngster!"

The map pinpointed the next round of ghosts in the clockmaker's chambers and the finishing room. Since Luigi was currently closer to the latter area, he decided to battle those ghosts first. A liberal mix of armed and unarmed Greenies awaited him there, and he had to leap over swings from hammers and duck shield bashes while simultaneously wrestling the ghosts into the Poltergust. The last ghost got in a strike to the stomach, but that didn't stop Luigi from vacuuming them. Sweaty, throbbing and sticky, Luigi gave himself no time to rest, heading briskly toward the finishing room. There, Luigi was confronted with a horde of unarmed Greenies, but they could really pack a punch. His shirt was translucent with sweat, and his hair was stuck to his forehead by the time he defeated them. However, he was buzzing with energy as he consulted his map for more ghostly infestations.

"You're not done yet, son!" Gadd exclaimed. "You've got visitors in three different rooms now!"

Those three rooms were the warehouse, the drafting office and the roundhouse. Luigi decided to clear out the drafting office first, finding it populated with Hiders and Sneakers. The former ghosts peppered him with every projectile they could find while the latter ghosts constantly broke his concentration. Luigi had a fairly tough fight on his hands before the drafting office was ghost-free, but he still had enough breath in him to trudge down to the warehouse. In _that_ room, armed Greenies and Slammers ran rampant, effortlessly knocking him all over the place before he managed to regain his bearings and capture the lot of them. However, what awaited him in the roundhouse gave him the biggest struggle. First, there was a group of Slammers, and while he could vacuum two or three at a time, a single attack could jar his grip on the nozzle. And after he sucked up the last Slammer, he was attacked by a Poltergeist who constantly hurled rocks and bricks at him. Ultimately, he managed to vacuum up the Poltergeist by bracing himself against a heavy box, beads of perspiration collecting on his abs as he clenched them. Once the Poltergeist was driven into the vacuum, Luigi leaned against the box, assessing his latest injuries.

_I should _really_ start charging the Professor for this._

The Dual Scream rang.

"Yello?"

"That'll do, Luigi!" said Gadd. "I think that was the last one!"

"Thank God! They really buffeted me this time!"

"Come on back now," Gadd went on. "Zed, Fred and I will have ice and refreshments waiting."

"_Ciao_." Luigi hung up and smoothed his hair as he waited for the Pixelator to work its magic.

**…**

"Welcome home, Luigi!" greeted Gadd. "Let's unload those b—ds."

Luigi emptied the Poltergust, and then he accepted the ice pack Zed offered him.

"Good thing we nipped _that_ in the bud," said Fred. "It's mind-boggling how quickly ghosts can take a place over!"

"I'll say," said Gadd. "That's the world of paranormal research for you—one minute you're having fun learning about ghosts, and the next minute you're running for your life, scurrying about like a headless chicken!"

"At least Fred and I get some steady income out of the deal," grumbled Zed.

"Even so, I hope we never get to that point," said Gadd. "Of course, Luigi here is always at that point!"

He laughed, and Luigi fixed him with a piercing glare.

"I just risked my life getting three of the Dark Moon pieces for you," said Luigi. "Doesn't that mean something?"

"Of course it does."

"Then I'm not running around like a headless chicken, am I?"

"No, I suppose not."

"You have a very selective memory, Professor," said Luigi, rolling his eyes.

He turned and strode off to the lounge to bundle up. There was a cold and snowy mine he had to explore.

**…**

** "You're f—ing joking!" bellowed the King. "Luigi did **_**not**_** suck that Possessor into that Godforsaken machine!"**

** "He did," the Boo gravely intoned. "He's becoming unstoppable."**

** "Unstoppable, my [bleep]!" huffed King Boo. "I should've dealt with that geezer before destroying the Dark Moon. However…" His scowl gave way to a sinister smirk. "I intend to play the hand I'm dealt. Let's retreat to the Secret Mine and pull out the big guns. If Luigi doesn't freeze his b—ls off first, then we'll surely get him there!" He cackled, imagining the green-clad man who brought about his downfall at his mercy. There were so many ways he could make him suffer, and he couldn't wait to try them all out!**

** "I **_**will**_** have my vengeance," he vowed, "and now, the ghosts of Evershade Valley are gonna help me!"**

** He cackled once more before he flew off toward the snow-swept Secret Mine.**

* * *

**Please R&R.**


	25. D-1: Cold Case

In anticipation of the freezing temperatures, Luigi swapped out his short-sleeved shirt for a flannel, long-sleeved one. He also slid on a winter coat, a scarf, a pair of earmuffs and more insulated gloves.

"I hope you like snow," Gadd told him when he emerged in his winter wear.

"Well—I have a love-hate relationship with it," said Luigi.

"As we all," Fred chimed in.

Gadd then told Luigi a little about his next destination.

"A secret mining operation was started at the top of that snowy mountain a while back," he said, "but it's been abandoned since."

"Why?" asked Luigi.

"No one knows," replied Gadd, "but what I _do_ know is that the minerals in the mountain—especially the crystals—have unusual properties."

"That would explain the secret behind that mining operation," mused Luigi.

"But we'll discourse on that later," said Gadd. "The next Dark Moon piece is somewhere in this Secret Mine."

"Unfortunately, the signal picked up by the Parascope is unstable because of the terrible weather," Zed piped up.

"Does that mean we'll have to wing it?" asked Luigi.

"No," Gadd assured him, "because I already have a Toad Assistant there, doing some research. What are the odds, eh?"

"One in 734,958," Fred said crisply.

"Gee, thanks," murmured Luigi.

"His name's Ned, and he may have seen where the Dark Moon piece landed," said Gadd, "but he's not responding to my calls!"

Fred and Zed exchanged a concerned look.

"He's probably in the chalet, napping in front of the fireplace," reasoned Gadd, rolling his eyes. "I'll pixelate you nearby."

"If I ask him about the Dark Moon piece's location, then do you think he'll personally lead me there?" asked Luigi.

"I don't want him taking that chance," said Gadd. "Once you find him, bring him back here so we can talk to him."

"You got it," said Luigi.

"In the meantime, I'll keep scanning the area with the Parascope, looking for our Dark Moon piece," said Gadd. "Though the harsh weather will make it tough to find anything."

"We'll have to keep trying," said Zed.

"If the remaining Dark Moon pieces fall into the wrong hands, then that's _no bueno_," added Fred.

Gadd nodded. "Are you ready, Luigi? Here we go!"

Luigi sent Mario another text message before he gave Gadd the go-ahead to pixelate him out.

**…**

The Secret Mine was an old, frozen shack smack-dab in the middle of a perpetually winter wonderland. Currently, it wasn't as wonderous, since there were ghosts running rampant. It certainly wasn't wonderous to Luigi, who wound up pixelated there upside down, landing face-first in the cold snow. He pulled his head free, adjusted his cap and got to his feet, the cold beginning to knife his cheeks as his breath hung in thick clouds about him.

Flurries of snowflakes swirled in the air as Luigi began trudging through the snow, vacuuming up small piles of it and even uncovering a chest full of treasure. The soft, feathery flakes rested on the bare skin of his face, melting after a few seconds of contact. Luigi didn't mind—as he told Gadd, part of him liked the snow and part of him despised it. Snow was fun to play in when he was a boy, but it was a chore to shovel from the driveway in the mornings.

He caught some snowflakes on his tongue before proceeding toward the chalet, noticing a snowman near the entrance. When he yanked off the scarf, the snowman fell apart, and he could launch the "head" from the vacuum to earn a handful of coins. Then, he walked up the stairs, wiped some frost from the window and peeked through it to view an empty chalet, save for a Hider relaxing in a rocking chair.

The Hider turned around and saw him, causing them to spin around and ride the rocking chair like a bronco, more coins spilling out of it as the Hider laughed. Suddenly, the chair tipped over, yielding some dollar bills, and Luigi turned away before vacuuming up more piles of snow and heading inside.

After stamping the snow from his boots, Luigi glanced up to see the Hider back in the rocking chair. As the ghost alighted from it, the man in green stunned them, getting dragged a short distance before sucking the Hider into the vacuum. Something shoved him from behind, and he whirled to see a Sneaker grinning at him. Luigi made short work of them, too, along with a second Hider concealed in a drawer and a Gold Greenie hiding under a bear rug. Once all of the ghosts were in the Poltergust, Luigi searched the chalet, but he could find no sign of Ned. He was able to find a golden bone, though.

The Dual Scream rang.

"Yello?"

"Ned's not in the chalet?" asked Gadd.

"No, he isn't," replied Luigi. "Where else could he be?"

"He'd better not be fishing in that fishing hut out back," huffed Gadd. "I'm not paying him to catch fish—unless they're some kind of freaky ghost fish."

Luigi chuckled. "Now _that_ I'd like to see," he said.

"I hope he's okay," Fred piped up.

"Don't worry," said Luigi. "I'll find him. _Ciao._"

Luigi hung up and proceeded into a smokehouse, where he uncovered a hidden scarf with the DLD. Yanking on both scarves opened a secret cabinet, which contained a sapphire. Whistling a tune, the man in green continued his search, jumping when a Greenie burst out of the stove.

After Luigi captured the Greenie, another Greenie appeared, using a rock as a weapon. He vacuumed the rock out of that Greenie's hand before capturing them, as well. Upon the ghosts' defeat, burning rocks were jettisoned from the stove, which Luigi used to melt some of the ice which built up inside the smokehouse. Doing so thawed out a cord, which he yanked to produce a downpour of treasure. Once he melted as much ice as he could, Luigi exited the smokehouse, finding himself back outside, walking—or sliding—along a frozen lake.

And it was there that Luigi sensed he was no longer alone.

There was a malevolent presence in Evershade Valley. A malevolent presence that wanted Luigi—or Professor Gadd or both—dead.

A chill that wasn't the cold pierced his back. He whirled, staring into the starry sky, but he saw nothing.

However, he knew that the presence was still there.

His guard on high-alert, Luigi blew on his hands to warm them before peeking through a hole into the fishing hut. There, he saw a solitary Boo floating inside, cackling and licking their tongue along—something. Luigi moved away before the Boo could spot him, just then spotting a hockey puck nearby. He launched it into a nearby goal, attracting the attention of two Gold Greenies in ice-hockey attire!

Dodging swings from hockey sticks, Luigi stunned and captured the Gold Greenies before drawing some Spirit Balls from the fishing hut's entrance. When he walked inside, the Boo smiled wickedly before disappearing, and then he sucked up piles of snow to find a reflection of a portrait on the icy floor.

A portrait of a Toad.

"Ned," Luigi murmured, shining his DLD on the wall in front of him and revealing the portrait. After vacuuming up the Spirit Balls, he released Ned from his artistic confines.

Ned landed on the icy floor, creating a small crack. He pushed himself up to a sitting position and laughed. Like Fred and Zed before him, the blue-spotted Toad sported some bruises, along with a busted lip and several small cuts, but he wasn't seriously injured.

"Thanks, Mar—Luigi! Is that you?" asked Ned.

"In the flesh," responded Luigi.

Ned leaped to his feet, causing the icy floor to further crack. "Boy, am I happy to see you!" he chirped.

In his jubilation, Ned started jumping up and down, creating more cracks on the floor.

"Ned, wait!" cautioned Luigi. "Stop! You're gonna…"

But Ned paid him no heed—at least until the ice crackled ominously beneath their feet.

He glanced up. "Whoops," he muttered.

The icy floor gave way, sending Luigi and Ned tumbling an indeterminate distance into the snow. Ned landed in a snowy pile, and once Luigi recovered his wits, he helped the Toad Assistant free himself.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

"Yeah," Ned replied.

"Just—be careful, all right?"

"What are you, my mom?" Ned rolled his eyes. "All right."

The Dual Scream rang, and Luigi answered it. "Yello?"

"Luigi!" Gadd's voice was quite static-y. "Are you all right?"

"I'm good," replied Luigi.

"You're losing reception," said Gadd. "Are you underground?"

"My bad," Ned spoke up. "I didn't know the ice was so thin."

"Good Lord! The two of you probably fell into the old mine!" Gadd exclaimed. "The place is extremely dangerous! Be careful!"

"Okay."

"There's an old elevator that should take you back to the chalet," Gadd went on. "That's the only way out! Good luck!"

"_Ciao_," said Luigi, hanging up and turning to Ned.

"C'mon," he said. "I'm gonna take you back up to the chalet. The Professor, Fred and Zed are worried about you."

He opened his coat slightly, allowing Ned to huddle inside. Insane cackling sounded around them, giving the mine an unsettling atmosphere. While searching for a way back aboveground, the two of them encountered a Gold Greenie, which Luigi easily dealt with. Then, Ned got his attention with a light tug on his coat.

"There's a geyser blasting out air," he said, pointing it out to Luigi. "Let's use that to head back up."

"Good eye, Ned," said Luigi, suctioning the Toad onto the nozzle and stepping onto the geyser, which propelled the both of them upward.

"That was fun," gasped Ned. "And look—I see a sapphire!"

Ned crawled into a nearby mineshaft, emerging with the aforementioned sapphire cradled in his arms.

"Thank you," said Luigi as Ned slipped the sapphire into his pocket.

The two of them pushed through a door into a gondola terminal, and then accessed the high wires, where Ned helped Luigi uncover another sapphire. Back in the terminal, the two of them headed into the airway, and Ned frowned.

"Darn it," he hissed. "The zip line can't be activated from this side!" His expression lightened. "Hey! Look over there! That's the elevator we need to reach! We'll need to find another way to get over there."

"Great," huffed Luigi. "Just great."

Ned turned and spotted a lift behind him. Again, he tugged on Luigi's coat, and then he saw the lift, too. Using the Poltergust, he launched Ned onto it, lowering it with his weight while also raising another lift. On that lift was a key partially buried in snow, which Luigi freed by vacuuming up the snow pile.

After pocketing the key, Luigi knelt and high-fived Ned. "I think we're getting somewhere now," he said.

They walked back into the terminal, and Luigi discovered that the "door" to his left was just a cloth. Yanking it down revealed a mirror and allowed him to uncover a hidden barrel. Cackling sounded from within the barrel, and when Luigi peered inside to investigate, the Boo he'd seen earlier jumped out!

"Hey, who turned out the lights?" asked the Boo. "I'm Boofoon!"

"J—s! That's him!" exclaimed Ned. "That's the Boo who trapped me in that portrait!"

A paternal feeling welled up inside Luigi as he faced Boofoon. He wasn't about to let Ned fall victim to them again! His jaw set as he yanked hard on the Boo's tongue, sending them bouncing all over the terminal. He repeated this until their HP was depleted, and then he none-too-gently shoved Boofoon into the Poltergust.

Ned cheered, and then he huddled back inside Luigi's coat as the man in green used the key to unlock the door to a prospector's crossing.

A smaller icy lake was in front of them. When Luigi tried to carry Ned across it, the weight proved too much for the icy sheet, sending Ned frantically scurrying back. After warming the Toad back up, Luigi suctioned him onto the nozzle and used the "blow" function to shoot him to the other side. Then, he hurried over to join Ned.

The duo continued into a drift hall, where Luigi found a key inside a chest. This key unlocked a door to a basin, where some Sneakers lay in wait for them. But Luigi skillfully defended Ned against the ghosts, keeping his body planted in between the Toad and the Sneakers. It took about two and a half minutes the clear away all of the ghosts, and then Ned and Luigi proceeded to the other side of the airway.

A rope bridge led to the elevator Ned had mentioned, but it was in a state of disrepair. Luigi pulled one of the ends back into place, creating a makeshift tightrope.

"Stay here," he told Ned before steeling himself and beginning the treacherous trip across.

The icy winds tried to knock him off balance, and his nervousness wasn't doing any favors. But Luigi looked straight ahead as he willed himself to the other side, step by step. When he reached his destination, he exhaled before fixing the other end of the rope bridge. Now, it was safe for him and Ned to cross.

After Luigi fished another sapphire out of a barrel and activated the zipline system, he and Ned boarded the elevator, which took them back up to the chalet. Across from them was a Pixelator screen.

"Thanks for getting me out of there," said Ned as Luigi activated the Pixelator.

"You're welcome," said Luigi.

The two of them waved at each other as Ned was sent to the Bunker.

The Dual Scream rang.

"Yello?"

"You had me worried for a minute there, son," said Gadd. "I thought I'd have to go looking for both of you myself!"

"I can be pretty resourceful when necessary," said Luigi.

"Ned made it back safe and sound," Gadd told him. "I'll bring you on back, too. Hold on a sec."

"_Ciao_," said Luigi before hanging up.

He could hardly wait to return to the Bunker's warmth.

**…**

"Welcome back, Luigi! You did good!" Gadd said merrily when Luigi returned. "The Poltergust 5000 must be about to burst with all the treasures and ghosts you found in the mine!"

"It is," said Luigi, emptying his trusty vacuum into the Vault.

"I'm a bit rattled from all of this," said Ned, "but I think I'll be okay."

"Thank God Luigi found you," said Zed.

"Ditto," Ned softly intoned. "I know somebody shattered the Dark Moon. Unfortunately, I haven't seen the piece that landed in the Secret Mine. However, I can tell you that the ghosts—Boos in particular—have been very active."

"My," breathed Gadd.

"Professor," said Luigi. "I shouldn't be telling you, this—but I sensed something out on the frozen lake. And when I was trying to get Ned out of the bottom of the mine, I thought I could hear some—crazed laughter." He shuddered. "I didn't like the sound of that laughter."

Gadd paled. "That's not good news," he said.

"I've got a snapshot from that tridimensional security camera," Ned told everyone.

"Great! I'll process it posthaste!" said Gadd as Ned handed him the security image. "Fred, Zed and I have set out an assortment of teas in the lounge."

"Thanks," said Ned. "I could use some thawing out."

"Me, too," said Luigi as he followed the blue-spotted Toad into the lounge.

**Please R&R.**


	26. D-2: Hit Rock Bottom

"Hey, youngster! I've finished processing the security camera image," said Gadd. "Shall we take a look?"

Luigi set down his tea. "Might as well," he replied.

He, Fred, Zed and Ned gathered around the console as Gadd displayed the security image on the monitor.

"Oh—my—God," breathed Luigi.

Greenies, Slammers and Sneakers were imprisoned in red crystals, sporting frightened and confused expressions on their faces. Gadd looked positively sickened at this image.

"Holy [bleep]! What's all this?" he asked.

"Ghosts give me the creeps, but I wouldn't wish something like this on them," breathed Ned.

"Yeah—we don't hate them _that_ much!" Zed chimed in.

"Did the Boos put them in these crystals?" asked Gadd. "And if so—then why?"

"For the Hell of it, I bet," muttered Luigi. "Boos _are_ a sadistic lot."

"Ned—in your last report, you said something about the crystals having strengthening qualities," said Gadd.

Ned nodded. "Now, the Boos seem to be extracting crystals from that quarry."

"Yeah—I don't like where this is going," said Fred. "The Boos must have something terrible planned for those crystals—and the ghosts."

"You're right," said Gadd, "but why would they need those crystals? I'm as wary of this as you, Fred."

"You're saying that's a quarry?" asked Luigi. "I gotta find a way over there before the Boos overtake it completely!"

"Hey, you guys…" Zed said slowly. "What's that?"

Luigi followed Zed's gaze, and then the back of his throat froze. For cast on the icy ground was a large, round and ominous shadow—and a familiar-looking one at that. He blinked, hoping he was just seeing things, but the shadow was still there. Beside him, Gadd's face was drawn and gray.

"Professor," said Luigi, his eyes glued to that ominous silhouette. "Do you—do you still have _him_?"

"I—I…" stammered Gadd.

"King Boo's portrait," said Luigi, feeling nauseated. "You still have it, right?"

"Ah—oh, b—cks!" cursed Gadd.

"What's wrong?" asked Fred.

"D—mit! I've doomed us all!" spat Gadd.

"I don't follow," said Ned.

"The portrait—I sold it!" hissed Gadd.

"To whom?" asked Zed.

"Uh—two years ago, I was enduring a particularly stressful day, and then this fellow walked up, saw the portrait and wanted to buy it!"

"You gave the painting of a psychotic tyrant to a complete stranger?!" Luigi uttered in disbelief. "Are you f—ing kidding me?!"

Gadd snatched at his hair. "I'm so stupid!" he cried. "How could I forget something like that?!"

"J—s! I gotta…!" Luigi took out his cell phone, excused himself and began leaving frantic voicemails for Mario, Chad, Thad, Brad and Conrad.

"You've been forgetting a lot of things lately, Professor," said Ned. "Maybe it's about time you retire."

"Let's just—get this mess sorted out first, all right?" huffed Gadd, flustered.

Fred indicated the portrait in the sack. "They've been dragging that painting all over Evershade Valley!" he exclaimed. "Whoever's behind all this really cares about that painting." Something seemed to occur to him. "Dear Lord—do you think…?"

"I can't bear to say what I think," said Gadd.

He dismissed the photo from the monitor. "I'm done looking at this," he said. "What a macabre scene."

The Toad Assistants murmured in agreement.

Luigi pocketed his cell phone. "I don't like what was in that image. At all," he said.

"And that shadow," said Gadd. "I don't know if that shadow was real or not, but it appeared to be one of a larger Boo—commanding the Boos to put the ghosts inside the crystals."

"It looks like _him_," said Luigi.

"That sinister laughter coming from the bottom of the mine—do you think it came from…?" Gadd started to ask.

"I can't say," replied Luigi, "but this doesn't feel like some random event anymore. We gotta investigate and put a stop to this, and fast."

"That photo was taken just before you arrived, so they're probably still down there," said Gadd. "However, the only way to know for sure is to investigate the crystal quarry!"

Gadd worked quickly, mapping the location on the Dual Scream.

"You'll find my E-Gates on the way there," he went on. "Don't be afraid to use them!"

"I won't," said Luigi.

"Okay, Luigi—get to the bottom of the mine, and stop those Boos from doing—whatever they're doing!" said Gadd.

"Will do." Luigi felt an acute sense of foreboding as Gadd pixelated him back to the Secret Mine.

**…**

The Pixelator deposited Luigi in the chalet, where the elevator to the mine was located. However, he noticed that the rocking chair was missing, uncovering it with the DLD. As soon as he sucked up the Spirit Balls, out popped a Boo!

"I'm Booger!" said the Boo. "Why must you always pick on me?"

"Why do you always pick on _me_?" retorted Luigi as he exposed Booger to the DLD and sent them bouncing all over the chalet. Once Booger was disoriented enough, Luigi vacuumed them up and headed toward the elevator, purple fuzzy-like creatures tottering at his heels.

These Fuzzballs, as Luigi decided to call them, began impeding him, so he caught them in his nozzle and gently launched them away, briefly fluffing them as he did. One Fuzzball was gold, yielding some treasure each time they were fluffed. However, one Fuzzball led him to another sapphire, so they weren't all that bad…

Luigi took the elevator down to the airway, stepping carefully along the icy ground toward the drift hall. From there, he continued into the prospector's crossing, where he noticed a sapphire partially frozen in the icy pond. With a couple of logs, he cracked the ice enough to free the sapphire. On the other side of the airway, he used his vacuum to catch one of the wires, which returned him to the elevator. Then, he hurried across the bridge and turned right, heading toward the crossroads.

Inside the crossroads, Luigi caught sight of a red circle with a small, green panel on top of it. When he flashed it with his Strobulb, the red circle opened, and a green glow emanated from inside it.

Was this one of the E-Gates Gadd was talking about earlier?

Tentatively, Luigi approached the glowing circle, first sliding a finger, and then his arm through it. When he saw his own hand sticking out from a similar glowing circle, he laughed. These E-Gates strongly reminded him of Portals! For several moments, Luigi goofed around with the E-Gates, waving hello to himself. It got to the point that Gadd had to phone him, reminding him of the task at hand.

Chastened, Luigi walked through the E-Gate to the other side of the crossroads, where he found a frozen key. Then, he had to go back through the E-Gate to melt the ice using a broken lantern. The thawed key unlocked the door to a skip slope, where the ground was almost entirely ice.

After vacuuming up some dollar bills and finding a golden bone in a barrel, Luigi slid down the icy slope, whooping with glee as he went. At the bottom of the slope was another E-Gate, which he activated, and a key. Going through the E-Gate took him back to the top of the skip slope, which he rode down a second time, emerging with yet another sapphire. Then, he unlocked the door to a smuggler's hideout.

A single burning log rested in the fireplace, which Luigi used to melt an icy wall. This, in turn, thawed a suit of armor bearing a spear, along with a window. Just as the wall completely melted away, a Sneaker and some Greenies charged through the window, leaving it wide open and beginning to re-freeze everything.

As the icy wind shrieked, Luigi did battle with the three ghosts. They were relatively easy to subdue, albeit the last Greenie was protected by a green paranormal shield. Once he captured all of the ghosts, he shut the window and used the log to melt the reformed ice, revealing a door which took him to the shaft.

Using the vacuum's blow function, Luigi lowered the shaft—and himself—deeper into the mine. During his descent, he observed some ghosts lugging around more of the red crystals he saw in the security image. He couldn't do anything to stop them, since they were out of the Strobulb's range. However, he _was_ able to stun and vacuum up a Gold Greenie.

When he reached what was presumably the bottom of the mine, Luigi walked up to a red door with a wheel in front of it. Turning the wheel caused the door to flip over, tossing him into a coward's chasm. Luigi gave a small laugh at the irony of this before crossing the coward's chasm and walking into a deep hall.

The Dual Scream rang.

"Yello?"

Gadd's image and voice was mostly obscured by static. "Luigi—are you there?"

"Yeah."

"I can barely hear you! You probably made it to the very bottom of the mine," said Gadd. "So far, so good?"

"Yup."

"The crystal quarry should be nearby. Try to find a way a way in."

"Okay."

"But whatever you do, don't pa—t with cr—a—l!"

"Uh—I didn't get that last part, but I won't touch the crystals," said Luigi. "_Ciao._"

He hung up and ventured further into the deep hall, where his ears picked up some muffled cackling and screaming. Following the noise to a crack in the wall, he peered through and couldn't believe what he was seeing…

The ghosts that were encased in the red crystals were frantically pounding on them, screaming in fear and pain as their bodies glowed. Three Boos floated lazily about, leering at their prisoners and cackling at their suffering.

"Ghosts of Evershade Valley," said one Boo. "Hear me, and rejoice! You have had the privilege of being saved by your one true King! You may thing this is suffering. No—it is salvation. Liberation from the wicked whims of a mad scientist. Smile, and fear not—for even in this state, you are helping your King make this valley—and the world—a better place."

Luigi's stomach wrenched. He didn't like the sound of those words one bit. Pulling himself away from the crack, he took several deep breaths. Now that he knew what had happened to King Boo's portrait, there was a strong possibility that the vile Master of Illusions had freed himself from the painting's confines. And if he _had_ freed himself, then how long ago? Was he spying on Luigi this whole time?!

He crossed the room and peered through another crack in the wall, where he saw a key and a Gold Greenie. When he stepped back, he tripped and fell, finding himself face-to-face with the Gold Greenie and a Sneaker. After defeating the two ghosts, Luigi descended into a pit mine.

There was a conveyor belt and some sort of mill in the pit mine. After powering on the former by yanking a cord, Luigi spun a rotor which turned the mill, loading several rocks onto the conveyor belt. He watched as these rocks rode the conveyor belt through an E-Gate and then headed back into the deep hall, where the rocks were deposited. Thanks to these rocks, he was able to get a sapphire and access a cinder mine.

In front of him was the key he'd seen earlier, partially frozen. Luckily, a heated log, followed by some heated rocks, helped Luigi solve that problem. He pocketed the key in no time and returned to the deep hall, where he fought off some armed Greenies before unlocking the door to the crystal quarry.

That was when things took a turn for the worse.

The imprisoned ghosts were undergoing a visibly painful transformation. As they screamed and writhed and pleaded for this torture to stop, white marks began appearing on their bodies. Luigi remembered the Sneaker he'd defended Zed from in the Old Clockworks, who'd bore those same white markings. Had they also been experimented on, as well?

Luigi knew now, without a reasonable doubt, that the Evershade Valley ghosts were the victims of whatever this was, along with himself, the Professor and the Toad Assistants. They didn't have a say in this anymore; they never had a say in it from the beginning, since the artifact keeping them sane had been destroyed. Standing there and watching them go through such unimaginable agony, Luigi began to feel sorry for the ghosts.

He was driven out of his reverie when the Boos turned and looked at him. A sharp cry issued from his lips as he raised the Poltergust in defense. But then the Boos leered at him as the sounds from within the crystals grew more feral, the terror and pain on the ghosts' faces transforming into frighteningly savage expressions. Ominous crackling echoed throughout the quarry as the crystalline prisons began giving way.

_Oh, no…_ Luigi thought.

Giving one last cackle, the Boos departed the crystal quarry, leaving Luigi to the mercy of the horror they'd created.

Laughing madly, the ghosts broke free of the crystals entrapping them, bloodlust in their pupil-less eyes. As one, they dove at Luigi, who stunned and vacuumed up as many of them at a time as he could. These ghosts had more HP than the ones he'd previously encountered, and their attacks dealt a lot more pain. Whatever was in those crystals had made these ghosts stronger—kind of like a performance-enhancing drug. But why would the Boos want to make them stronger? To use them as their personal attack dogs?

Luigi didn't know how much time passed, but it felt like an eon. He wrestled the last ghost into the Poltergust and then stood there, his entire body smarting anew. The Dual Scream's ringtone was barely audible above his heartbeat and heavy breathing.

"Y—yello?"

"J—s, Mary and Joseph!" balked Gadd. "WTF was going on in there?!"

"G—ghosts—the crystals—made them—stronger," huffed out Luigi. "I thought—I was gonna _die_ down here."

"And the Boos fled the scene of the crime?"

"They—did. And they were—making the ghosts—take the crystals away…"

"Well, on the bright side, you managed to capture those powerful ghosts," said Gadd. "I'll need to study them. Okay, I'm bringing you back!"

"_Ciao_…" exhaled Luigi before hanging up.

His heart still thudded in his ears as he felt the Pixelator take him away.

**…**

"Good to see you back here, Luigi!" said Gadd. "Let's see what you've got."

Luigi dutifully emptied the Poltergust, wincing as he did.

"These ghosts aren't the real antagonists here," he said. "They're just a means to an end."

"And with Boos ordering them around, this situation has grown a lot more serious," said Ned.

"I've got a theory," said Gadd. "That strong ghost you captured back in the Old Clockworks—I think I know what happened to them. They were forced inside one of those crystals."

Quiet in the Bunker.

"Someone seems to be controlling all of the ghosts in the valley, but it doesn't stop there," Gadd went on. "They've also figured out a way to use the mine crystals to strengthen the ghosts! And if they've been extracting crystals this entire time and taking them elsewhere, then I fear we may be up against much stronger ghosts in the future! Luckily…" His eyes twinkled. "…you've collected enough treasure for me to whip up your final upgrade—the Super Poltergust!"

"The Super Poltergust?" repeated Luigi.

"It'll be just like your current model, except that you'll have more muscle when it comes to dealing with these stronger ghosts," Gadd explained.

Luigi slid off the Poltergust and handed it to the Professor. "The timing couldn't have been better," he said.

"But back to the subject at hand," said Gadd. "We still have no idea who's pulling the strings behind all of this! I mean, who could orchestrate such a thing?"

"Only one person comes to mind," said Luigi. "Someone who I thought was safely sealed away…"

"There's now reason to believe that the Boos had a hand in shattering the Dark Moon," added Fred. "They want to use the ghosts here for something far more sinister—but what?"

"I need to warn Mario about this," said Luigi, once again whipping out his cell phone. "If what I'm thinking proves correct, then he'll be in the most danger."

Gadd and the three Toad Assistants watched worriedly as Luigi retreated into the lounge.

A sense of foreboding filled the air, and it was only increasing by the minute…

**Please R&R.**


	27. D-3: Across the Chasm

After trying and failing to reach Mario for the umpteenth time, Luigi was in a frenzy of worry, pacing back and forth. So much nervous energy filled him that he wanted to go back into the Secret Mine and resume the search for the next Dark Moon piece. However, Gadd was still tracking it down with the Parascope. Eventually, Luigi brewed himself a cup of mint tea to settle his nerves. The hot beverage was just enough to hold him over until the Professor struck gold.

"I've got a signal coming from an unlikely place outside of the mine," said Gadd. "The distant workshop!" He marked the location on the Dual Scream. "Unfortunately for us, the workshop is on the other side of a big chasm, and the nearby Pixelator camera isn't responding."

"There's always a catch," sighed Luigi.

"Don't worry," said Ned. "There's a way across the chasm—a gondola that will take you directly to the workshop."

"I could use a nice gondola ride right about now," said Luigi.

"The weather seems to be getting worse, but the gondola ride shouldn't take too long," said Gadd. "All you need to do is board it at the terminal, and it'll whisk you across the chasm."

"I know where the terminal is," said Luigi. "I passed it when I was escorting Ned to safety."

"Then it'll be easy as pie," said Gadd.

Luigi made a face. "Don't tempt fate," he warned.

"I'll call you on the Dual Scream once you get across," Gadd told him. "Look lively!"

With that, Gadd sent Luigi off as the three Toad Assistants waved after him.

**…**

Half of the chalet was practically frozen when Luigi arrived, thick ice encasing the elevator. Even with his coat, scarf, earmuffs and gloves, he was shivering; the temperature had surely dropped ten degrees! Freezing wind whistled into the chalet from an open window above him, but there were no stairs for him to climb up. As a couple of Fuzzballs rolled after him, Luigi ducked into a fireplace, which revealed itself as a secret passageway to the chalet's upper level. He used the Poltergust's exhaust to close the window, and then he used the vacuum on a wheel to his right, igniting three overhanging torches which melted the ice around the elevator. He took the elevator down to the airway and went straightaway to the terminal.

The gondola was behind a sheet of ice, which Luigi cleared away by detonating a few Robombs. Just as he was about to board the gondola, however, a Gobber materialized and knocked him backwards! This Gobber had white markings along their body and was also wrapped in white chains. Joining the Gobber were two more ghosts, a Greenie and a Slammer, also wearing chains. As Luigi watched, the three ghosts used a yellow chain, a red chain and a green chain to seal the gondola shut. The three laughed at their handiwork before flying away.

Luigi stared after them, gaping, until the Dual Scream rang.

"Yello?"

"God—mit! Those chains—are paranormal chains!" Gadd exclaimed.

"Paranormal chains? Wha…?"

"They won't go away until the ghosts that made them are defeated," explained the Professor.

"I told you not to tempt fate," said Luigi. "Guess I have to chase after those ghosts if I want to cross the chasm sometime this year. _Ciao_."

He ended the call and used the Dual Scream to track down the chained ghosts.

The first chained ghost was hiding somewhere in the basin. Luigi could just barely make out the chained Gobber, concealed behind some ice. He uncovered a hidden Robomb with the DLD and detonated it, forcing the gross ghost to break cover.

Luigi was about to give chase when he was stopped by several Hiders, popping out of chests and tossing various projectiles at him. After taking a few hits from these projectiles, Luigi captured the Hiders, only for the chained Gobber to drop down on him from above! He was none-to-thrilled to discover that the chained Gobber had a high amount of HP, along with super strength and more devastating attacks. This was a Super Gobber he was dealing with! Luigi could barely get a Surge in before the Super Gobber broke free, and he was constantly on the lookout for that yellow gunk being launched at him. The yellow gunk from regular Gobbers was just a nuisance, but here, hits from gunk balls could really hurt! And to add insult to injury, the Super Gobber periodically hit Luigi with their large belly, knocking him back a good foot. The ensuing fight consisted of Luigi slipping and scrabbling along the icy ground, doing his best to evade gunk balls and the Super Gobber's belly, his arms starting to shake from the effort of maintaining the suction on such an enhanced ghost.

Finally, Luigi sucked the Super Gobber into the Poltergust, the chains they were wearing snapping apart and knocking the man in green onto his bum. He checked himself for serious injuries, got back up and continued his icy trek.

Collecting a golden bone, a sapphire and some gold bars and dollar bills along the way, Luigi tracked down the next ghost in the smuggler's hideout. One of the suits of armor was shaking and rattling, and the other was hidden by Spirit Balls. Luigi used the DLD to reveal the hidden suit of armor, which thrust its spear forward and removed the rattling armor's helmet. The chained Greenie—or Super Greenie—flew out of the armor, opened the window and fled outside, and a Sneaker entered to deal with Luigi.

Luigi easily captured the Sneaker, only to be accosted by two more who constantly sneak-attacked him. Once he wrestled _those_ Sneakers into the vacuum, the Super Greenie emerged from the fireplace to engage him. The Super Greenie had about 100 HP, but they were easier to deal with than the Super Gobber. Luigi captured them in three Surges, which earned him an energy-replenishing heart.

Now, all that remained was to find the Super Slammer.

Luigi descended into the deep hall, where he discovered a Boo inside a hidden kettle.

"I'm ParaBoola!" declared the Boo. "A symmetrical open-plane curve formed by the intersection of a cone with a plane parallel to its side! I mean—BOO!"

"Thanks for the pre-calculus refresher," said Luigi, subduing and capturing ParaBoola faster than he could graph an equation of a parabola. Then, he headed into the crystal quarry and activated an E-Gate which took him back into the chalet.

A sapphire was hidden in the chalet, as was the Super Slammer. The latter retreated into the fireplace, but before Luigi could go after them, some Greenies swarmed in to attack! One even had a red paranormal shield, but one by one, he captured them all. Then, the Super Slammer emerged from the fireplace, and they did _not_ look happy. The big lug had about 300 HP, and their shockwave claps could blow Luigi from one end of the chalet to another. However, Luigi stood his ground, managing to capture the Super Slammer after much struggle.

The final paranormal chain was removed. As Luigi started back toward the terminal, the Dual Scream rang.

"Yello?"

"Good job, youngster! That was the last chain," said Gadd.

"Thanks, Captain Obvious," said Luigi.

"Time to ride that gondola across the chasm. Posthaste!"

"I was just on my way there," Luigi told him. "_Ciao_."

Back in the terminal, Luigi pushed open the gondola door and stepped inside. It didn't take rocket science for him to figure out that the vehicle was non-operational. But on the other side of the gondola was a mechanism which launched burning rocks. Using this mechanism, Luigi melted the ice on the rest of the wires making up the zipline system. Hopefully, he could use those ziplines to get to the workshop.

As he exited the gondola, the Dual Scream rang again.

"Yello?"

"Luigi, can you hear me?" asked Gadd.

"The reception's weak, but yeah."

"The gondola isn't working anymore, is it?"

"No."

"Fixing it would take way too long!" Gadd sighed. "You're going to have to cross the old-fashioned way!"

"Look that way," said Luigi. "_Ciao_."

He went out into the high wires and used the first set of ziplines to cross to the other side. Then, he walked across a fallen log and inspected an outhouse, which sucked him into another of those puzzle rooms.

Instead of a maze, Luigi stood in front of a snowy fortress. As a LED timer began to count down from 60, a trio of Hiders popped out from behind the fortress and initiated a snowball fight!

"I love snowball fights," mused Luigi as he lobbed snowballs of his own back at the Hiders. Then, he noticed some larger snowballs nearby, launching them from the vacuum's nozzle and freezing one Hider in their tracks. With each Hider he hit, Luigi earned gold coins and gold bars. And after he defeated the last Hider, he won a sapphire!

"That was fun," he said.

Back on the high wires, Luigi used the second set of ziplines to cross that chasm and reach the workshop landing, where small explosions sounded periodically. In order to get to the workshop, Luigi had to inch his way across a narrow wooden beam. On the beam next to him were three gold bars, but with a stream of crows flying at him, he decided not to get greedy. Besides, there were no more upgrades to look forward to.

When Luigi reached the maintenance room, the Dual Scream rang.

"Yello?" he answered.

"I hope you're doing okay down there," said Gadd.

"Yeah. I crossed the chasm," Luigi told him.

"Looks like you've reached the maintenance room! That's good," said Gadd. "Get that generator going to power up the workshop's door and the Pixelator's camera."

Luigi's gaze played over the generator. "That shouldn't be hard," he said. "_Ciao_."

It didn't take long for Luigi to pinpoint the source of the problem—the generator was partially frozen! Utilizing some Robombs on a conveyor belt and the generator's panels, Luigi melted all of the ice, getting the generator up and running in minutes.

"I did it!" cheered Luigi.

He gasped as the ground suddenly lurched, hearing a low rumble.

_Avalanche_, he thought.

Sure enough, when he opened the door, a wall of snow poured into the maintenance room.

"Now what?" he asked.

The Dual Scream rang.

"Yello?"

"Luigi, the interference is terrible. Are you snowed in?"

"I am."

"Good thing you activated the camera outside! I'll get you out of there and pixelate you back later. You'll want to warm up before facing the possessor, anyways!"

"You got that right," said Luigi. "_Ciao_."

He hung up, starting to feel a bit of appreciation for the Pixelator as it recalled him to the Bunker.

**…**

"Pixelators aren't really a bad thing, Professor," Luigi said once he was back in the warmth and security of the Bunker. "Otherwise, I would've been stuck in that maintenance room with no food or water…" He cringed. "Better not think about that _too_ much."

He emptied the Poltergust and accepted the cup of hot cocoa Ned offered him.

"Thank God you fixed that generator," said Gadd. "We'd be in a fix if we couldn't open the door to the workshop."

"And now that the Pixelator over there is active," said Ned, "you won't have to mess with that gondola again."

"We're getting close," Fred chimed in.

"The signal in the workshop is definitely a Possessor," said Zed, "and where there's a Possessor, there's usually a Dark Moon piece."

"Take some time to relax and thaw out before the big fight," said Gadd. "Here, I'll wait…"

Luigi headed back into the lounge to enjoy his cup of cocoa. But he'd only taken a few sips when his cell phone chimed—

**Please R&R.**


	28. Chilly Ride

Setting down his mug of cocoa, Luigi took out his phone and answered it.

"Hello?"

"Luigi…" Brad's voice was hushed and solemn. "I think we may have a clue regarding Mario's situation."

"You know where he is?" Luigi asked hopefully.

Brad cleared his throat. "There's a rumor floating around," he said. "Right now, they're saying—that King Boo escaped."

Luigi's heart stood still. "Who…?" he demanded.

"It's just a rumor for now," said Brad, "but if King Boo has in fact escaped, then he likely wants to hurt you for what you did to him."

Bile rose in Luigi's throat as he remembered the image of the portrait in the burlap sack. Those shoes. That cap. That _shadow_…

"Knowing his m.o.," Brad went on, "my best bet is that he'll want to lure both you and Mario into a trap, make you watch as he does whatever he pleases to your brother, and then…" He didn't need to finish that sentence, and they both knew it. "I think you should have your guard up over these next few days."

"So should you—along with Chad, Thad, Conrad and Peach," Luigi said as he clutched his stomach. "I don't know if he knows about the Princess, but I'm not taking any chances."

"We'll guard Peach with our lives, Luigi," said Brad. "Stay safe, okay?"

"Same to you."

Luigi hung up, dove for the trash bin and retched.

"Wow. Are you okay?" asked Ned as he walked into the lounge.

Luigi shook his head. "There's talk—that King Boo—somehow—escaped."

He wiped his mouth, splashed some water on his face and rejoined the Professor to warn him.

"I just got off the phone with an old friend in the MK," said Luigi. "King Boo is rumored to have escaped, and if that's true, then we'll both be in his crosshairs."

Fred and Zed exchanged alarmed looks.

"He'll probably want to set a trap for me and…" Luigi trailed off. "_Dio_. Maybe _this_ is the trap. Maybe _he_ arranged for the Dark Moon to be shattered, knowing that you'd call me, and then…"

"If he's in fact behind this," said Gadd, "then we need to stay on our toes. Fred, Zed and Ned—you're not leaving this Bunker without my say-so. Is that understood?"

The Toad Assistants nodded vigorously.

"We've got to get that Dark Moon piece _now_," Luigi said urgently. "Professor, is that Possessor still in the workshop?"

"Yes—the Parascope is still picking up that strong signal," Gadd replied.

"Great. Send me over there."

"These Possessors are smarter than your average ghost," said Gadd, "but I know you can beat them."

"Really?"

"Really, really."

Luigi blushed. "Thanks, Professor."

"Let's show this next Possessor what we're made of," said Gadd. "Off you go!"

Luigi gave a determined nod before Gadd pixelated him out.

**…**

There was no sign of a possessor, or of any ghost, when Luigi entered the workshop. There was a huge sheet of ice in the center of the room, some barrels, a few crates and a bobsled.

"Hello?" Luigi called.

No answer.

Cautiously, Luigi pulled the door shut behind him. And when he swiveled back around—

There was the Possessor!

This Possessor had four horns, and like the others, a Dark Moon piece floated inside of them. Their sudden appearance caused Luigi to jolt back in alarm, losing his balance and falling on his bum. Laughing, the Possessor dove into the large ice sheet, which began crackling and glowing ominously. Back on his feet, Luigi saw an icy face grin at him, pupil-less eyes flashing open and a mouth opening in a roar. The face then descended into a pit, sending several barrels rolling across the ground. Luigi just stood there in shock, staring after the icy face, not seeing the bobsled coming at him. He gave a cry of surprise as the bobsled knocked him off his feet, but he was able to grab onto it and hop aboard. This bobsled also came with some sort of bomb-launching mechanism. Perfect! Luigi broke into a [bleep]-eating grin as he steered the sled after the icy face.

Thick sheets of ice formed around the icy face, and Luigi had to destroy those sheets one by one by firing bombs. It should've been easy, but appearances were deceiving. Luigi had to aim carefully, and the launcher had a limited range of movement. With the icy face constantly rotating, he had to time his shots, as well. There was no worry over running out of bombs, but he had to keep an eye on a temperature gauge to his right. With each bomb Luigi let loose, the bobsled's temperature slowly increased, and he couldn't let it overheat. Once it did, the vehicle could explode, and he'd be unlikely to survive _that_. And the cherry on this f—ing sundae? If he let the icy face slide out of range, then the protective ice sheets would regenerate, making him start all over again.

But thinking negatively wouldn't get him the Dark Moon piece. Luigi sat high on that bobsled, the icy wind shrieking in his ears and blowing his bangs back as he blasted away the ice sheets protecting the icy face. The corners of his mouth twitched upwards into a smile as his blood pumped faster and faster. Fighting this ice monster was a hassle, but it wouldn't stop him from making the most of it.

Luigi destroyed the last ice sheet and then gasped as the ice monster lunged at him, mouth open to swallow him whole! Thinking quickly, he fired a bomb into the monster's mouth. Their eyes turned red, and then an explosion rocked the frozen pit. The Possessor was forced out of the ice and landed on solid ground, the bobsled coming to an abrupt halt and bucking Luigi off.

As usual, the Possessor surrounded themselves with a paranormal shield before attempting to ram Luigi. But this one created small portals for ingress and egress, allowing Luigi to evade their charge easier. When the Possessor bashed into an icy wall, they dropped their shield, dazed, and Luigi pounced. He quickly found purchase on the frozen ground as he stunned the Possessor and vacuumed away their first coat.

Then, the Possessor leaped back into the ice and retreated further into the frozen pit, Luigi hopping back onto the bobsled as it slid toward him. More protective sheets had formed around the ice monster, more icy sheets that Luigi had to blast away while simultaneously trying to keep the bobsled from overheating. But aside from that, Luigi hung on and enjoyed the chilly ride, launching bombs with surprising precision as he screamed like a little boy on a roller coaster. When the ice monster tried to eat him, he launched a bomb inside their wide open mouth, forcing the Possessor back out of the ice.

With the ground even icier, Luigi found it harder to dodge the Possessor's charge, even slipping into their trajectory. Despite ending up on the ground with half of the wind knocked from him, Luigi let the Poltergust rip the second he saw the Possessor drop their shield, sweating despite the cold as he sucked up his adversary's second coat.

Back the Possessor dove into the ice sheet, Luigi on their tail aboard the bomb-launching bobsled. His cries and laughter echoed throughout the frozen pit as he let the bombs fly, the cold numbing his face. A great whoop tore from him, as if he was ziplining across a mountain range, when the ice monster opened wide and barreled at him. He sent one last bomb flying into the ice monster's mouth, knocking the Possessor out of their host.

Breathing heavily, Luigi flashed the Strobulb at this shrewd Possessor before they had time to form their paranormal shield, one good Surge sending them into the vacuum. The nozzle shuddered, and then the Dark Moon piece ejected itself from the vacuum, knocking Luigi backward.

The ghost-hunter's body was shaking, in the throes of a major adrenaline high. Despite being deep underground in a cold mine, Luigi felt incredibly warm. Soft laughter escaped him as he stepped over to the Dark Moon piece, scooped it up and pocketed it.

The Dual Scream rang.

"Yello?" he answered, his voice breathy and shaky.

The static was so bad that he could barely hear what Gadd was saying. But he _did_ manage to hear the Professor say, "Hold on!"

"_Ciao_." Luigi hung up and started to do a victory dance, only to reconsider when he slipped a little on the frozen ground.

It was only a stretch of luck that the Pixelator was able to work.

**…**

"Where in God's name were you, Luigi?" Gadd wanted to know. "Fred, Zed, Ned and I could barely follow you!"

"That was one of the shrewdest Possessors I've ever met," said Luigi. "They possessed the ice, and I had to chase them on a bomb-launching sled down a frozen pit!"

"Sounds like a lot of fun," opined Ned.

"Trust me—it was," replied Luigi.

"We were just worried you were too deep into the mountain for the Pixelator to bring you back," Fred put in.

"So—you captured the Possessor?" asked Gadd.

"I did," replied Luigi.

"What about the Dark Moon piece?"

Luigi patted his pocket. "I have it here."

Gadd jumped in his seat. "Great job, Luigi! Let's send that Possessor down to the Vault."

Luigi did just that, and then he gave the Professor the Dark Moon piece, watching as the machine cleaned off the corrupting dark magic.

"I reckon some more fog has lifted," said Gadd. "Let's take a look."

They consulted the digital map, where a fifth building appeared.

"Hmm—that place," murmured Gadd. "I'd better take a reading with the Parascope." His fingers flew across his keyboard.

"I won't disturb you, then," said Luigi, heading back into the lounge.

He needed something to calm his nerves, anyway.

**Please R&R.**


	29. Severe Infestation

Adrenaline still pumped through Luigi's veins from his encounter with the shrewd Possessor, the thrill of being mounted on that bomb-launching bobsled, laughing and screaming and hollering, still fresh. Only a Possessor _that_ shrewd would turn a harmless sheet of ice into an ice monster that tried to _eat_ him. All of the tea and cocoa in the world couldn't calm him down. He needed something to do. Scratch that—he _wanted_ something to do.

Impatiently, he rejoined Gadd at the console. "Any news on our next locale?" he asked.

"I'm afraid that'll have to wait," said Gadd. "We've got a severe ghostly infestation taking hold in the Secret Mine!"

"According to the Parascope, these ghosts are even tougher than the previous infestation," Ned joined in.

"We've given this a lot of thought—and we don't think these repeated infestations are a coincidence," said Fred.

"Whoever's behind this mess is sending ghosts to recapture the locales you've cleared away," added Zed.

Luigi bit his lip. "I'm not gonna let that happen," he said firmly.

"That's what I like to hear!" crowed Gadd. "Look lively, youngster!"

Luigi put his coat and scarf back on, and then Gadd sent him back to the Secret Mine.

**…**

He landed softly on his feet in the chalet, Poltergust at the ready the minute he touched the ground. Gadd's voice crackled over the Dual Scream, "We've detected the first bunch of ghosts. Give them what for!"

Luigi checked his map and spotted the terminal as an area of interest. When he arrived there, he saw a Greenie, a Slammer and a Sneaker with those white markings. His stomach flopped—if there were enhanced ghosts running rampant in the Secret Mine, then he couldn't afford to dawdle!

Luckily, he was able to put that leftover epinephrine from his chilly ride to good use, capturing the Slammer first, followed by the Greenie and the Sneaker. He hardly felt the punches they managed to land on him, the urgency of the situation creating a stronger sense of giddiness.

"They're not done yet!" warned Gadd. "Look lively!"

And indeed, the Dual Scream pinpointed ghosts running amok in the fishing hut and the chalet. Luigi stopped at the chalet first, finding a smattering of armed Greenies waiting for him. They tangled for about two minutes before he finally managed to get them into the vacuum with a powerful Surge. His upper body throbbed as he limped over to the fishing hut, where there were more armed Greenies to fight. By now, however, he was able to recognize their attack patterns and discover more openings where he could counterattack. Three minutes later, every last ghost in the fishing hut was captured.

"Look at all of them!" shouted Gadd. "Be careful…"

The ghosts had reclaimed the terminal, and there were some in the drift hall and under the ice. Strong Sneakers and regular Slammers were in the terminal, a group of Greenies and Strong Slammers were under the ice, and regular Greenies, regular Sneakers and Strong Sneakers were in the drift hall. The last group was the hardest, as the Sneakers would come out of nowhere and either scare him, attack him or scare him before attacking him. Not to mention all of the ice which made him slip and slide. But he was determined not to let these ghosts recapture the Secret Mine and undo his hard work.

After what seemed like hours, the last ghost was finally in the Poltergust. Luigi uncovered a golden bone from a nearby chest and sat down on the ice, catching his breath.

The Dual Scream rang.

"Yello?"

"All right, Luigi," said Gadd. "You caught them all."

"That's a relief," said Luigi.

"I could've done it a bit quicker myself, but at least you got the job done," Gadd went on. "Besides, I'm too old for this ghost-catching tomfoolery."

_You said that on the night we met_, thought Luigi.

"Anyway, let's bring you back. You need to be completely thawed out before starting your search for the final Dark Moon piece."

"_Ciao_," said Luigi before hanging up.

**…**

"Nice work," said Gadd when Luigi landed back in the Bunker. "I know I say that a lot, but it's true. I'm proud of you, my boy!"

"Thank you," said Luigi as he shrugged off his coat, threw off his scarf and emptied the Poltergust.

"These infestations seem to happen to all of the locations that we explore," Gadd observed when Luigi was done. "That _can't_ be a coincidence."

"Someone has to be planning them," said Zed. "Someone _powerful_."

Luigi's heart skipped two beats as he remembered his phone call with Brad.

"Probably the same fiend who shattered the Dark Moon!" Gadd put in. "But with you on the case, Luigi, those ghosts don't stand a chance."

"You said it!" Fred chimed in.

Luigi retreated to the lounge, hoping to finally come down from his adrenaline high. From the looks of things, he needed to have his wits about him during his search for the last Dark Moon piece!

**…**

** He couldn't believe it. He just couldn't believe it. The harsh cold wasn't enough to keep Luigi away from the Secret Mine. Even when he discovered the Boos' little surprise—the enhanced ghosts—he took thrashing after thrashing, and yet he kept on fighting! The King supposed that it was partly his fault, as well; he should've seen that bobsled in the workshop and removed it so that Luigi would've been powerless against that Possessor. However, even with his defenses falling, the King wouldn't fall into despair. He had an even bigger surprise waiting for Luigi inside the Treacherous Mansion!**

** "Ah, Luigi," sighed King Boo. "You think you're so smart. But we'll see who gets the last laugh!"**

* * *

**Please R&R.**


	30. E-1: Front-Door Key

"All righty, then," said Professor Gadd once his mentee had significantly thawed out from his trek through the Secret Mine. "The final Dark Moon piece appears to be located in the Treacherous Mansion!"

"_Dio_," mused Luigi. "_That's_ a name to run away from really fast."

"It's a suitable name," Gadd told him, "because I'm reading the highest levels of paranormal activity ever recorded—in the history of forever!"

"J—s," said Luigi. "They _do not_ wanna let that Dark Moon piece go!"

Fred, Zed and Ned shook their heads, agreeing with him.

"No paranormal researcher worth their salt would go near the place," said Gadd, "but _you_, on the other hand—well, you don't really have a choice, do you?"

"I suppose not," said Luigi, "seeing that I'm the only one who can recover the last Dark Moon piece."

"Bingo," said Gadd. "Look on the bright side, though! You—um—you—ah—you have a very bushy mustache!"

"That's it? That's all you've got for me?"

Gadd looked sheepish.

Luigi rolled his eyes. "Gee—thanks for the motivation," he said.

"Hey—you also have the Poltergust 5000!" Fred piped up. "And it's recently been upgraded to the Super Poltergust! Don't count _that_ out!"

"Yeah!" the other three Toad Assistants led the charge.

Luigi lanced the Professor with a glare. "The Toad Assistants give better pep talks than you," he said.

"Well—I'm no good at them," Gadd shot back, flustered.

He pulled out a green key and handed it to Luigi. "This is the front door key for the Treacherous Mansion," he said. "It'll make getting into the place a whole lot easier, so don't go losing it!"

"I won't," said Luigi as he tucked the key into one of his pockets.

"We tried to pinpoint the Dark Moon piece," said Zed, "but there's just too much paranormal interference in there."

"So—I take it I'm on my own this time around?" asked Luigi.

Gadd sighed heavily. "I wish I could lie to you, my boy."

"Oh, joy," said Luigi. "This is gonna be fun."

"Good luck," said Gadd. Under his breath, he added, "You're gonna need it…"

"What was that?" asked Luigi.

"Nothing," replied Gadd, hastily activating the Pixelator.

**…**

Luigi stuck a perfect landing on his feet, directly in front of an ominous-looking iron gate. He pushed it open and drank in the sight of the Treacherous Mansion—a large manor almost the size of _that_ one, resting in the middle of a large ravine. A narrow walkway connected the mansion to the steep cliffs around it.

The wind picked up, blowing Luigi's hat away. He reached out to snatch it back, nearly losing his balance and toppling into the ravine in the process. After taking a few calming breaths, he began the perilous trip across.

Portions of the walkway collapsed as he went, leaving only pitifully thin beams. Combined with the strong winds, these beams put Luigi's sense of balance to the test. Sometimes, he had to hop from one beam to another. He blocked it out—blocked everything out except the need to cross to safety.

Just as the last of the walkway was about to collapse from under him, Luigi took a chance and leaped to the other side of the veranda, laughing hysterically as he barely made it. It didn't take long for him to pull himself together and walk up the steps to the front door.

The Polterpup playfully tackling Luigi to the floor and snatching up the front door key was practically comic relief.

"Hey!" he exclaimed as Polterpup woofed and dashed off. The man in green smacked the ground in frustration. "Bad doggie!"

He got to his feet and was about to take off after the mischievous ghost puppy when something akin to a "spider sense" went off in his brain.

_Something was happening inside the Treacherous Mansion._

Swallowing, Luigi peeked into one of the windows to look—and nearly vomited at the sight before him.

Boos floated within, cackling their heads off as they crowded around another portrait of a Toad. This Toad's face and upper body were mottled with bruises, cuts, and a few burn marks—and smeared with blood. Nearby, some more Boos were holding a purple-spotted Toad, who was likewise bruised and bloodied, making him watch as their brethren leered at his imprisoned companion, their tongues licking up the canvas. Then, they carried the Toad portrait away, set down a new canvas and dragged the purple-spotted Toad before it. A familiar mad cackle sounded as a purple bolt of energy struck the Toad, a cackle which mixed with the Toad's screams of agony and horror as he was hit with a second energy bolt, forcing him into the canvas. All of the Boos laughed and cheered at the sight.

Luigi stumbled away from the window, leaned over the side of the veranda and retched into the abyss.

"Oh, God," he rasped, wiping his mouth. "Oh, God…"

He looked up and saw Polterpup gazing sympathetically at him before scampering off.

The Dual Scream rang.

"Yello?"

"Bad dog! That ghost doggie is sitting barely out of reach!"

"Yes, I know," said Luigi.

"If only he knew the trouble he's causing us," sighed Gadd. "Do you happen to have a haunted doggie treat on you? Maybe you can lure him over!"

"I have plenty of those golden bones I keep finding all over the valley," Luigi told him.

"Forgive me—I just realized how ludicrous that sounded," sighed Gadd. "I guess you're gonna need to find some other way in there."

"Guess so," echoed Luigi. "_Ciao_."

He hung up and headed over to a well, where he drew some Spirit Balls from a chain with a red ball attached to it. Using this chain, Luigi descended into the bottom of the well. After fending off some spiders, he broke down a weakened wall and headed into a guard tunnel, where Polterpup frolicked about, wearing a knight's helmet. Upon catching sight of Luigi, Polterpup shook off the helmet and fled, Luigi using the DLD to follow those spectral paw prints. He didn't get far before he was attacked by two Strong Greenies.

After vacuuming up the Strong Greenies, Luigi had to deal with a Strong Slammer, followed by another Strong Greenie who managed to blindside him a couple of times with a roundhouse punch. After defeating them all, Luigi collected another gold bone and resumed following Polterpup's paw print trail.

At the cliffside, Luigi opened a gate which took him into a ceremonial chamber. He saw Polterpup on the other side of the chamber, observing him, only to have the spectral pooch flee once more. Using a nearby web ball, Luigi burned away some cobwebs and lit all of the torches in the room. Just as he extinguished the web ball, a suit of armor seated upon a throne was hoisted into the chamber.

Whirling at the sound of clanking footsteps, Luigi saw another suit of armor, clutching a spear, step toward him. He dove out of the way of the armor's initial attack, and then the suit chased him around the ceremonial chamber. Noticing the carpet in the center of the room, he tricked the suit of armor into stepping on it before literally yanking the rug out from under his pursuer. The armor clattered to the floor, revealing that a Greenie had possessed it all along. That Greenie was inside the Poltergust in seconds.

The other suits of armor in the ceremonial chamber attacked Luigi one by one, armed with medieval weapons such as axes and maces. He subdued them in the same fashion—tricking them onto the rug before yanking it away, and then stunning and sucking up the Greenie possessing each suit. When all of the Greenies were defeated, Luigi sat down on the throne to rest. The throne suddenly jolted, lowering him into some haunted catacombs.

Silently, Luigi worked his way through the labyrinthine catacombs, Polterpup's paw prints providing the only sense of direction. During his search, he came across another timed red-coin challenge, which he completed with five seconds to spare. Later, he found his way into an underground lab, where he encountered two Strong Greenies acting out a scene from _Frankenstein_, with a suit of armor standing in for the famous monster. They abandoned the suit of armor in favor of attacking him, managing to get in a painful punch each before Luigi vacuumed away their protective goggles. A Strong Sneaker joined the fray, scaring him while he was trying to vacuum up the Strong Greenies. Five tries later, he defeated the small horde of ghosts, and then he decided to finish the Strong Greenies' little experiment out of curiosity.

Well—the suit of armor didn't come to life. But it _did_ spit out a Boo.

"Arf, arf! Grrrrrr…" the Boo said ominously. "Better run from Boolldog!"

Boolldog had 40 HP, but it just meant that it took longer for Luigi to subdue them. After capturing Boolldog, Luigi used the suit of armor's discarded helmet to reveal a gem—and a diamond, at that!

"Who in Earth is leaving these valuable gems around?" Luigi asked no-one in particular.

He exited the underground lab and emerged back into the maze of catacombs, where he put on his music and resumed combing the area for any sign of Polterpup. Along the way, he collected more diamonds, burned away more cobwebs and turned his Poltergust on any ghost that dared to impede him. One door took him back to the cliffside, where there were more diamonds and other various treasures to collect. Eventually, however, the spectral paw prints led him to some dungeon cells, where he had to fight off some Strong Hiders before discovering some water leaking out of a barrel. Thanks to this water source and a conveniently-located bucket, he could water some plants, which spat out gold bars and dollar bills.

Luigi searched the dungeon cells top to bottom, eventually finding Polterpup hiding inside a small chest. The ghost puppy leaped out, circled Luigi's legs a few times, and then flopped onto his back. Kneeling down, Luigi gave Polterpup a few belly rubs.

"May I have the front-door key back, please?" Luigi asked when he was finished.

As if in reply, Polterpup licked Luigi's face before trying to make a run for it. Unfortunately, he didn't get far. Luigi gave the cute paranormal pup a regretful look before stunning him and finally sucking him into the Poltergust.

He scooped up the front-door key and walked out of the dungeon cells. Just when he reached the stairway, the Dual Scream rang.

"Yello?"

"Bravo, Luigi! Someone needs to put a leash on that pooch!" exclaimed Gadd. "Eh, you're pretty far from the mansion's entrance now. It'll be faster for me to bring you back here and then send you to the front door."

"Yeah—the Poltergust is getting a little full, too," said Luigi, "and I took some hits during my pursuit, as well."

"All the better reason to bring you back," said Gadd. "Hold on!"

"_Ciao_," said Luigi.

These creepy catacombs were starting to wear on his nerves, anyway.

**…**

"Nice work hunting down that front-door key," said Gadd. "That dog really took you for a walk!"

"He did," said Luigi.

"Let's hope Polterpup stays in the Vault this time around," said Fred as Luigi emptied the Poltergust.

"He will," said Gadd. "I made some adjustments to the capture mechanism so he won't escape."

Luigi looked concerned. "Just—don't hurt him, all right? That's all I ask of you."

"It's official, then," sighed Gadd. "He's grown on you."

"Can you really blame me?" asked Luigi.

"Not really. No." Gadd cleared his throat and changed the subject. "You didn't encounter as many ghosts as I thought you would."

"Most of them were enhanced," Luigi told him.

"Well—that was just the basement," said Gadd. "Who knows what the rest of the place has in store for you?"

"That—is a prospect that I don't exactly relish," Luigi said uneasily.

"The mansion looks a lot creepier than the last time I saw it," Gadd went on. "I wonder who's been redecorating…?"

Luigi decided not to tell Gadd about the unnerving scene he'd glimpsed through the Treacherous Mansion's window.

"Anyhoo, I'll adjust the Pixelator to send you to the mansion's entrance," said Gadd. "That'll provide you with a safer gateway to look for the final Dark Moon piece."

"Thanks, Professor," said Luigi.

He turned and headed back into the lounge, in dire need of another glass of sweet wine.

**…**

_**October 2011**_

** He cruised down the freeway in his car, singing along to the tune playing on his sound system. After two weeks of freedom, he'd never felt so alive. Despite wanting to go straight to Luigi's residence and make him wish he'd never been born, he knew that good things came to those who waited. And didn't a good King discuss his plans with his constituents before enacting them?**

** King Boo got off the freeway and pulled into Big Boo's Burgers, a recently established fast food chain. After maneuvering his vehicle into a parking space, he climbed out, locked his doors and floated into the building.**

** "Welcome to Big Boo's Burgers," said the Boo manning the cash register. "We charbroil the biggest burgers for the best Boos. What can I get for you today?"**

** King Boo reached up and removed his shades, causing the smaller Boo's mouth to drop open in shock.**

** "Your Grace," gasped the Boo. "How did you…?"**

** "It's a long story," said King Boo. "One that I'd love to tell you over your Signature Big Boo Single Meal with a large root beer. Hold the onions and hold the mayo, if you please."**

** "Of course, Your Grace," said the Boo. "This meal's on the house."**

** "Thank you," smiled King Boo.**

** The Boo then turned to the other employees. "Attention, everyone—we have a very special guest here. Our King has returned!"**

** All of the Boos—from the cooks to the janitors to the dishwashers—swiveled around to face their King, who'd somehow escaped from his unjust confinement after ten years!**

** "No—way," one of them said.**

** "Way," said the cashier Boo. "Since this is our King we're talking about, we need to make sure that his order is perfect. We've got a Signature Big Boo Single Meal with no onions and no mayo. Let's hop to it!"**

** The Boo gave King Boo a cup for his root beer. After getting his drink, the King made himself comfortable in one of the booths. Two minutes later, the Boo cashier brought his meal out to him.**

** "Thanks," said King Boo.**

** In no time flat, all of the Boo employees gathered around their King, listening as he narrated his daring escape from the clutches of Professor Elvin Gadd.**

** "After a few words with a seemingly innocent stranger, he was ready to give up my portrait like it was nothing," he laughed. "Of course, that's what he **_**believed**_**…"**

** "So—you conjured up an illusion of a stranger to charm your captor with a silver tongue?" gasped one Boo.**

** "You'd better believe it," said the King, "and that was before I got ahold of this power-enhanced gem." The gem in question glowed atop the King's crown as he spoke.**

** "Whoa. You're a bad—s, Your Grace," mused another Boo. "Isn't he a bad—s, people?"**

** The other Boos cheered their assent.**

** "We were wise to choose you as our King," said a third Boo.**

** King Boo took a big bite out of his Boo Burger. "Let me ask you something," he said. "Do you like working here?"**

** "Well…" said a Boo. "We had to do **_**something**_** with our time after **_**he**_** humiliated you, so we opened up this nice burger joint."**

** "Do you **_**like**_** working here?"**

** The Boos exchanged looks.**

** "I cry at night," said one Boo.**

** "That's what I thought," said King Boo.**

** "We've talked about ganging up on that man in green and f—ing him up," said yet another Boo, "but we realized that it wouldn't be as satisfying without you."**

** "Exactly," grinned King Boo, "and I know just the way to get to him."**

** "Do tell," said a Boo.**

** "We'll instruct him on the matters of loss and pain," hissed King Boo. "We'll make him suffer—make him wish he were dead. And then we'll grant his wish."**

** "Conjuring up another 'mansion' won't work," said a Boo. "He'll probably see right through it."**

** "You won't have to do that," said King Boo. "The Professor has relocated to a place called Evershade Valley, which is chock-full of ghosts." He giggled. "When I was resting up in a hotel after my escape, I did some research on the valley. The ghosts there are super-friendly because of an artifact called the Dark Moon, hanging in the sky. But…" He giggled again. "…if **_**something**_** somehow happened to the Dark Moon, if it was—somehow shattered beyond repair—then the good Professor would find himself trapped in an unsafe work environment."**

** "Keep going," said one Boo.**

** "The Professor would then cry out to our **_**good friend**_**, Luigi, for help," King Boo went on. "We'll let the manic ghosts wear him down first—and then—we'll pounce." He cackled. "After that, we'll have all the time in the world to take our overdue revenge."**

** Silence. Then—**

** "I like it!"**

** "I like it, too!"**

** "Sounds like an excellent plan, Your Grace!"**

** The Boos excitedly chattered among themselves at the prospect of helping their King pay back his enemies for what they'd done.**

** "I hope you've still found time to—practice," said King Boo.**

** "We have," the Boos said in unison.**

** "Good," smiled King Boo, "because in order to carry this out, I'm going to need your **_**special power**_**. You **_**do**_** know the special power I'm talking about, don't you?"**

** The Boos nodded. Then, one by one, they merged together until they formed into one colossus of a Boo.**

** "Yes," said King Boo, relishing in the return of his second-in-command. "Yes!"**

** He cackled, and the colossal Boo cackled with him.**

** "Ready or not, Luigi—here we come!"**

* * *

**Please R&R.**


	31. E-2: Double Trouble

When he heard the Facebook notification chime on his phone, he expected it to be one of the Toad retainers, spreading word of Mario's mysterious situation on social media. He expected it to be Mario, having escaped from whoever attacked him, telling everyone that he was safe. He even expected it to be Peach, starting a Safety Check regarding the incident.

But Luigi wound up with none of those things. Instead, the phone gave him a _chilling_ notification.

_**King Boo sent you a friend request.**_

Luigi was frozen where he sat, staring at the notification. How on Earth did King Boo have a Facebook account? And how long did he have it? Was he using it to stalk him, Mario and their friends? And how did King Boo even _know_ that Luigi had a Facebook account?

He wanted to convince himself that this was a joke, that this was a parody account that decided to rattle him for some cheap laughs. But deep down, he knew that this was really King Boo who sent him a friend request.

Somehow, Luigi found the strength to dismiss the notification and put his phone away. Then, he refilled his wine glass, put it to his lips and sipped.

"Oh—that's not good," he heard Gadd say. "That's not good at all."

Luigi raced over to join his mentor. "What isn't?" he asked.

"The paranormal readings in the Treacherous Mansion are getting stronger," said Gadd. "With the Parascope going bonkers like this, there's no way it'll be able to find the Dark Moon piece."

"So—what do we do?" asked Luigi.

"I was just getting to that part," Gadd told him. "The increased paranormal activity has me worried about the safety of my Toad assistant. You see, the mansion contains exhibits full of artifacts from all over Evershade Valley and beyond. They're very valuable, so I sent a Toad curator to look after them. His name's Ted, and he takes his job very seriously."

"Ted," repeated Luigi, recalling what he'd seen the Boos do to those two Toads.

"But looking at these readings, I reckon that he may be in a hostile work environment," Gadd worriedly went on. "We need to help him!"

"He might know where the ghosts are hiding the last Dark Moon piece, too," Fred chimed in.

"I'll get him out of there," said Luigi. "You have my word."

"Okay," said Gadd. "Don't drop the front-door key this time."

Luigi rolled his eyes. "I didn't drop it—Polterpup took it."

Gadd blinked. "Don't lose it, then."

"Please, bring Ted back safely," said Ned.

"Okeydokey," said Luigi before Gadd pixelated him to the Treacherous Mansion.

**…**

At this point, Luigi figured that he'd seen everything. Possessed spider queens, possessed staircases, a possessed clock, ice monsters, enhanced ghosts, paranormal puppies, crystals with magical properties. That being said, Luigi approached the front door with a confident stride, inserted the key in the lock and turned it.

_I guess I _am_ starting to get the hang of this_, he thought.

That feeling lasted until he swung the door open.

Inside the Treacherous Mansion, there was nothing but pitch blackness. Even his flashlight couldn't penetrate the dark. Confused, Luigi swung around, looking back outdoors. And then chill bumps crept along his back as he sensed someone behind him.

_Don't make eye contact,_ he told himself as his body tensed. _That's what he wants._

**The King floated directly behind Luigi, ogling his tense back. He was almost the same as he was twelve years ago—except that he was a little wiser, a bit more laid-back and no longer controlled by his fears. But King Boo was going to change all of that.**

** He hovered closer to the one responsible for his ten-year imprisonment, sensing him sense his presence. Now would be a perfect time to attack, but King Boo was content to wait a while longer. Closing his eyes, the King inhaled his old friend's scent—sweat and cologne and hair conditioner. Luigi smelled **_**so good**_**. And then King Boo lolled out his long tongue and gently traced it up the nape of the plumber's neck. He tasted good, too.**

_**Soon,**_** King Boo told himself. **_**Soon…**_

Luigi stood there, not daring to move or speak, until the tongue was gone from his neck and the chill at his back had passed. When he turned back around, the Treacherous Mansion's interior was lit, as if nothing had happened. Reminding himself to breathe, Luigi walked inside as the doors creaked shut behind him.

The first thing he did was reveal a hidden statue on the staircase's right banister. Yanking on the red cord dangling from the statue caused the stairs to drop down, revealing a safe. And in that safe was a Strong Slammer! Luigi stunned them at once, and they had a ball dragging him all over the front entrance before he finally vacuumed them up. Also in the safe was a diamond, which he picked up before continuing onward.

He walked through the east gallery and into a jungle exhibit, where he found Ted, still trapped in the portrait, his mouth frozen in a scream. Luigi shone the DLD on the portrait prison, only for two spear-wielding Strong Greenies to arrive on the scene. To make things worse, a Flytrap appeared in front of the imprisoned Toad, snapping at his would-be rescuer.

Luigi brandished the Poltergust as the enhanced Greenies advanced on him, dodging their spear strikes as best he could. Eventually, he stunned them both and captured them, but in order to deal with the Flytrap, he had to find one of those spiky fruits.

"Don't worry, Ted," said Luigi. "I'll get you out of this."

Listening to his music, he began exploring the jungle exhibit, earning more treasure and eventually coming upon an E-Gate. After activating the E-Gate, he left the jungle exhibit and walked down the grand east hall, where he uncovered a hidden door to the restroom. There, he battled another Strong Greenie before heading into another restroom, where a Strong Slammer was seated on the toilet. Luigi got their attention by flushing the toilet, and after another battle, he captured them, as well.

The next exhibit he checked out was the ancient exhibit, where a large tiki head stared unblinkingly at him. There were two green panels in the tiki's eyes, and flashing them with the Strobulb caused the sand to drain from the room. Once all of the sand had drained, he broke down a wall to reveal another E-Gate, but as he strode towards it, the sarcophagi around him started shuddering. Luigi froze as they broke open, revealing four "mummies". He knew they were just Greenies on stilts, but they still kind of gave him the creeps.

He tricked them into stumbling into one of the torches lining the walls, and their bandages burned away to reveal four enhanced Greenies. From there, capturing them was a breeze, and then he activated the E-Gate, which took him back to the front entrance.

Now, Luigi proceeded into the west gallery, which led him into a Dark Age exhibit. There, he was confronted by a Strong Greenie wearing a bucket on their head, along with two Strong Hiders. He defeated them all before uncovering another E-Gate by sliding a book into a bookshelf.

In the grand west hall, he made his way into a kitchen, where another Flytrap startled him in the pantry. He subdued the Flytrap by feeding them a roast chicken (no, really), and then drew some Spirit Ball from a hidden refrigerator. Opening the refrigerator took him to an icy red coin maze, which he completed to earn more treasure. Then, he explored another major exhibit, the Ice Age exhibit.

After vacuuming up piles of "snow", he yanked on a "mammoth's" trunk, which tossed him up to the gargoyle roof. Glowing stars floated around him, which he caught in his vacuum and launched into the sky toward a larger, unfinished star shape. Once the star shape was completed, Luigi earned a diamond, and then he took a secret passageway back down to the Ice Age exhibit.

Inside an "igloo", Luigi found yet another E-Gate, which took him back to the front entrance. With all four E-Gates activated, he could now set about finding a way to free Ted.

He took the bucket from the Dark Age exhibit and filled it with water from the jungle exhibit, which he used to water a sprout. This sprout bloomed into the spiky fruit he was looking for. An orange flower catapulted him to the exhibit's upper level, where he launched the spiky fruit into the Flytrap's mouth, subduing them and finally allowing him to release Ted from his confines.

"Finally! Fresh air!" cheered Ted. His eyes swung over to the man in green. "Oh—Luigi! Boy, am I glad to see you!"

The green-spotted Toad hugged Luigi. "It was terrible," he went on. "Boos were chasing me all over the place. And that laughter—that horrible laughter!"

Luigi held Ted close. "You're safe now," he said. "Everything's gonna be all right."

"Thanks for the save," Ted said breathily, "but they got their hands on my friend, too. We've got to help him!"

"Your—friend," said Luigi. "The other Toad I saw earlier?"

Ted blinked. "The Professor didn't mention that there were two of us?"

"No."

"I'm not surprised," scoffed Ted. "He always thinks we're the same person. I wonder if he's color blind."

"Or if his mind's starting to go," Luigi worriedly added. "I've known him for almost twelve years. When we met, his mind was sharper than a number two pencil. But now that he's forgetting things…"

"We'll have a long talk with him later," said Ted. "Let's get my friend out of this place!"

"Do you know where they might have taken him?" asked Luigi.

"They made him watch as they shoved me inside a painting," Ted replied. "Just before I was sealed inside, I heard them saying their boss finished doing the same to him. Then, they muttered something about the Ice Age exhibit."

"Ice Age exhibit—I was just there," muttered Luigi.

Then, he held his hand out to Ted. "Let's go," he said.

He picked up the discarded bucket, refilled it, and used the E-Gates to enter the ancient exhibit. There, he saw a lone plant, and when he doused it with water, it grew into a flower that spat out a diamond.

Ted rolled his eyes. "Could you have waited until after you rescued my friend to do that?" he asked.

"Apologies," said Luigi, "but I thought that flower would give us something important."

Ted bit his lip. "I see what you're saying," he said. "By the way, my friend's name is Ed."

"Ed. Got it," said Luigi. "If he's in the Ice Age exhibit, then that means that we should expect some ice blocking our access to him. Before we look for him, we need to get something that'll melt the ice."

Ted nodded, and the two of them went back to the jungle exhibit.

"Hey—maybe this can help us," said Ted, handing Luigi a log. "All we need to do is light this baby on fire, and then we've got ourselves a torch!"

Luigi knew exactly where to go, leading Ted back into the ancient exhibit and using a torch to set the log alight. Carefully, he carried the log to the Ice Age exhibit, and just as he'd predicted, there were sheets of ice he needed to melt before finally uncovering Ed.

Ted cried out and ran toward Ed, pressing his cheek against the canvas and beginning to cry.

"Ed, I'm so sorry!" blubbered Ted. "I wasn't—strong enough…"

"Hey," Luigi said comfortingly. "What more could you have done?"

"I should've fought harder against those Boos," sobbed Ted.

"It wasn't your fault," said Luigi. "The Boos overcame you both with their magical powers, and they can't be subdued by conventional means."

"I didn't expect any Boos in Evershade Valley," sniffled Ted.

"Neither did the Professor," Luigi told him. "They must've—tracked him here—to get to me."

Luigi coaxed Ted away from Ed's portrait before using the DLD to free the latter Toad.

Ed was shivering when he came out, so Luigi knelt down and warmed him with a hug.

"I've got you," he said. "I've got you."

"Luigi!" cried Ed. "Thank Heaven!"

"Hey there, Ed!" called Ted.

"Ted! You're alive!" laughed Ed as he dashed over and hugged his friend.

Then, they turned to Luigi and hugged him, as well.

"You saved our lives," said Ed. "How can we ever repay you?"

Before Luigi could answer, the Dual Scream rang.

"Yello?"

"Hey, Luigi," said Gadd. "How's it going up there?"

"Ted's safe," said Luigi. "He was in a painting in the jungle exhibit, but I freed him."

"I haven't been checking in on you because I've been napp—I mean, looking for the Dark Moon piece, of course!"

"Yeah, sure," said Luigi. "Is there a Pixelator screen around here?"

"Yes. There's one in the inner courtyard," replied Gadd.

"Hi there, Professor," chirped Ed.

"Holy—Ed?!"

"That's me!"

"I almost forgot—J—s! Are you okay?!"

"I am now."

"I am _so_ sorry, Ed!" exclaimed Gadd. "I was so focused on the Dark Moon fiasco and recalling Ted that you just slipped right under my radar! Thank God Luigi found you."

"Ditto," said Ed.

"Okay, the Toads will be back in the Bunker soon," said Luigi. "_Ciao_."

He hung up and began leading Ted and Ed out of the Ice Age exhibit, only for a trio of Strong Greenies to appear out of nowhere!

Luigi stood protectively in front of the Toads, Poltergust raised and ready for action. As Ted and Ed cheered him on, he stunned and captured the Strong Greenies one at a time, taking a few punches as he did. Ed and Ted even helped him toward the end, grabbing him round the waist and keeping him anchored to the ground to make sucking up the enhanced ghosts easier.

After the brief battle, Luigi, Ted and Ed trudged through the grand west hall, making small talk and telling dirty jokes to provide some much-needed levity. On their way to the inner courtyard, some more ghosts attacked, but Luigi was always ready for them. Once inside the inner courtyard, the three of them stared at a statue of three gargoyles, to which two cages were attached.

The Dual Scream rang.

"Yello?"

"Have you reached the inner courtyard yet?" asked Gadd.

"We've just arrived."

"The Pixelator Screen is above it, so you'll need to find a way to get there," Gadd told him.

Luigi peered above the statue and saw the Pixelator Screen on the second floor.

"Piece of cake," he said sardonically. "_Ciao_."

"Hey," said Ted when Luigi hung up. "I have a feeling about those cages."

"Yeah," said Ed. "You can launch me into one of them and Ted into the other, and we'll see what happens then."

"Worth a shot," said Luigi.

Taking great care, he launched Ted into the cage on the right and Ed into the cage on the left. But before the weight could stabilize, those pink gates trapped everyone into the room, and a Boo emerged from the ground.

"Boopa Troopa, reporting for duty!" cackled the Boo. "The Boo armies are here, so you might as well surrender!"

"Over my dead body," Luigi declared.

"Sounds good to me," grinned Boopa Troopa.

Laughing, Boopa Troopa generated Spirit Balls and made the fountain disappear. As Luigi scanned the inner courtyard with his DLD for any sign of the Boo, several enhanced Sneakers began harassing Ted and Ed! The man in green shouted for the duo to find a place to hide before taking on the Sneakers. It was a tough fight, but Luigi won, and after sending the Strong Sneakers into the Poltergust, he did the same with Boopa Troopa.

"Whoo!" cheered Ted. "[Bleep] you, Boo! Suck on that, a—wipe!"

"Thank you, Luigi," added Ed.

"You're welcome," said Luigi, shining the DLD on the hidden fountain and vacuuming up the Spirit Balls.

After that, he helped Ed and Ted back into the cages, revealing two green panels at the base of the statue. When he flashed the panels with the Strobulb, the fountain and some of the floor moved aside, allowing a spiral staircase to ascend to the second floor.

"Awesome," said Ed.

"Wicked cool," Ted joined in.

The three of them walked up the stairs to the Pixelator Screen. Luigi gave Ted and Ed a high-five each before pulling the screen's lever.

"Here you go!" he said brightly.

"Thanks again, L," smiled Ted.

"Yeah, you're the best!" added Ed.

"See you soon!" they said in unison as they were recalled to the Bunker.

Seconds later, the Dual Scream rang.

"Yello?"

"Fred, Zed and Ned are so happy to see Ted and Ed," said Gadd. "They're having a great big hugfest on the floor!"

Luigi chuckled.

"All right—let me bring you back."

"_Ciao_." Luigi hung up and braced himself for the familiar sensation of being Pixelated to the Bunker.

**…**

"I knew I could count on you, kiddo," laughed Gadd. "You're just so dependable."

"I couldn't refuse to help out a friend," said Luigi.

"I wish the same could be said for me, though," Gadd despondently added. "I'm always so busy thinking about my research that I tend to forget minor details. And now, I put my Toad Assistants in danger because of it!" He sighed. "Fred, Zed, Ned, Ted and Ed—I truly hope you can forgive me."

"Well," Fred said craftily. "That depends."

Luigi emptied the Poltergust as Gadd and the Toad Assistants spoke.

"On the whole, I'm glad that the five of you are safe and sound," Gadd said contritely. "Although—I suppose this means I'll have to give you your paychecks now…"

"A paycheck would be nice," said Ed.

"And there'd better be a nice fat bonus in our envelopes come Christmas," Fred pointedly added. "_Then_ we'll consider forgiving you."

Gadd held up his hands in mock-surrender. "Okay, deal," he said.

The Toad Assistants cheered.

"We wish we could tell you anything about the Dark Moon piece," said Ted, "but we have no idea where the Boos took it."

"However, there's a lot of action on the second floor of the Treacherous Mansion," added Ed. "Maybe that's a good place to start looking."

"Plus, we brought back a security image!" Ted sang out, holding it out to Gadd.

"Great! I'll unscramble it right away!" said Gadd as Ted placed the security image in his hand. "I wonder what secrets it will reveal!"

It didn't take long for Gadd to unscramble and process the security image, projecting it onto the centermost monitor for everyone in the Bunker to see.

But _nothing_ could prepare Luigi for what he saw in that image…

* * *

**Uh-oh...**


	32. E-3: A Train to Catch

Professor Gadd, Fred, Zed, Ned, Ted, Ed and Luigi stood in the Bunker, staring at the security image that Ed and Ted had provided. They all hoped that it would give them clues regarding the last Dark Moon piece's whereabouts. All it did, however, was make the direness of the situation abundantly clear.

"Oh, my holy God," murmured Fred.

"No way," said Ned.

"This can't be real," gasped Gadd.

Luigi said nothing, the color drained from his face and his eye pupils dilated, as he kept staring at the image on the monitor. His wide-eyed gaze was drilled on the portrait in the sack that the Boos had carried around the valley. The piece of artwork had partially slipped out of the burlap, and as soon as Luigi had a good look at it, he was inconsolable. For there, helpless and unmoving against the monochrome canvas, was none other than—

"M—Mario…!"

The man in red was in horrific shape—nasty bruises splotched on his skin, blood seeping from his nose, mouth and the gashes adorning his body. From his posture, Luigi deduced that Mario had been trying to ward off something—or someone—whoever was responsible for doing this to him. At least he'd endeavored to resist—there were some defensive wounds on his hands to prove it. But that hardly did anything to comfort Luigi—he was locked in on the pain, terror and borderline hysteria he saw in his brother's eyes.

"Mario…" he breathed.

"How the [bleep] did those b—ds get their hands on him?!" shrieked Zed. "This is downright awful!"

Luigi ignored him, moving forward as if in a trance. He reached out and gently touched Mario's image on the monitor, hoping that it would somehow let him know that he was there and that rescue was on the way. His lips trembled, his breath shuddered and his eyes squeezed shut as he bowed his head.

He stayed that way for a few seconds. Then, his eyes snapped open, his jaw tightened, and his free hand clenched into a fist. When he swung around to face Gadd and the Toad Assistants, they were taken aback by the plumber's fierce but determined facial expression.

"Hey," Gadd said comfortingly. "You're gonna get him out of this. You did it before, and by God, you'll do it again!"

Luigi nodded briskly.

"Wait a sec—the background…" Ed squinted. "That's the train exhibit! What are they doing in there?"

"Whatever it is, it can't be good," Ted solemnly stated.

Any further discourse on the matter was halted when they all sensed—_movement_—within the security image. To the image's right was a large, imposing Boo wearing a familiar-looking crown. And that Boo suddenly turned around and looked right at Luigi, laughing that evil, wicked laugh which chilled the blood in his veins.

"_Dio Omnipotente_," he managed to gasp out. "It's him!"

King Boo's violet eyes burned hatefully into everyone in the room, and he let out one final cackle before the image glitched and fuzzed out.

"D—mit! God—mit!" hissed Gadd. "This is all my fault! _I_ gave King Boo's painting away—and now I put Mario in danger! Oh, Luigi—you must hate me now!"

"Professor—it was an honest mistake," Luigi said in a forgiving tone. "You had no way of knowing he was behind it—_if _he was behind it."

"He was," said Ned. "No doubt about it."

"He was in Evershade Valley all along," realized Fred. "He could've attacked us directly at any time, and he could've attacked Luigi at any time—but he didn't."

"Because he wants us to play a game," said Luigi. "That's his m.o. He wants to toy with us first before going for the kill."

"That sick [bleep]!" spat Gadd. "If he thinks we're gonna just sit by and…" He composed himself. "Ed—you said they have him in the train exhibit?"

"Yeah," replied Ed.

"Gimme a minute." Gadd mapped the location on the Dual Scream. "It seems that wherever King Boo goes, he takes Mario's painting with him. Luigi—you've got to get to that train exhibit and rescue your brother!"

"Maybe he can help us locate the final Dark Moon piece and give us tips on how to beat King Boo," added Zed.

Luigi made a tight fist and smacked it into his palm. "I'm gonna send him into that Vault of yours where he belongs," he vowed. "Or I'll die trying."

Gadd handed Luigi a makeshift rotor. "You'll need this," he said. "It'll let you turn that huge staircase that rose from the ground."

"Thanks," Luigi said distractedly.

"Look lively, Luigi!" exhorted Ned. "Your brother needs you!"

Luigi steeled his face as Gadd activated the Pixelator.

**…**

Once inside the Treacherous Mansion, Luigi ran straight toward the Inner Courtyard and screwed the makeshift rotor into place. Just as he finished tightening it, the Dual Scream rang. Blowing air between his lips, Luigi answered it.

"Yello?"

"Wow, that's one nifty stairway," mused Gadd. "Now head to the train exhibit!"

"You don't have to tell me twice," said Luigi. "_Ciao_."

He hung up and used his vacuum to spin the rotor, and by extension, the staircase. Once the staircase was facing right, Luigi stopped vacuuming the rotor and raced upstairs, taking the steps two at a time. This took him into the east corridor.

Ghostly laughter came from all around as Luigi moved briskly but cautiously down the east corridor. He pushed through a door into a nautical exhibit, where a Strong Slammer leered at him. But with so much mist in the room, he couldn't use the Strobulb. The mist seemed to be coming from an open porthole-styled window, which he closed. Once he vacuumed up the remaining mist, Luigi turned his attention on the Strong Slammer, stunning them as they fiddled around with a ship's wheel. As he struggled with the Strong Slammer, Luigi saw a Strong Greenie wearing a diver's helmet arrive on the scene. He dodged the incoming attack, only for the Strong Slammer to break free and send him stumbling with a shockwave clap. Then, another Strong Greenie appeared.

_This is for you, Bro_, Luigi thought as he narrowed his eyes and fired off his Strobulb again. The Strong Slammer and the unarmed Strong Greenie were stunned, while the Strong Greenie in the diver's helmet flitted around Luigi, throwing punches whenever possible. After he wrestled the unarmed Strong Greenie into the Poltergust, the Strong Slammer broke free again. At that point, Luigi dodged or tried to dodge the attacks from the two remaining enhanced ghosts until the remaining Strong Greenie removed the diver's helmet to taunt him. He pounced as soon as opportunity knocked, vacuuming up the ghosts in a matter of minutes. Giving himself no time to catch his breath, he activated the E-Gate below the window and used it to return to the front entrance.

He made a stop in the Dark Age exhibit to grab that bucket before returning to the nautical exhibit. By placing the bucket onto a life raft, he uncovered a door which took him to the exhibit's model ship. To his delight, there was a diamond in a small chest. Before leaving the room, he spun the wheel the Strong Slammer had played with until the compass on the ground pointed north, flipping the E-Gate around.

The next room Luigi explored was a study, where one of the books on the bookshelf was missing. Using the DLD, he found the missing book on a small table, and out of force of habit, he slid the book into its proper place on the bookshelf.

And then a ghostly hand pushed the book back out.

Luigi heard a familiar laugh as he peered through the space where the book was supposed to be. "Hello?" he asked.

He found himself roughly shoved to the floor, and a Strong Poltergeist materialized in the study, telekinetically picking up the book and flying off with it.

As Luigi got to his feet, the Dual Scream rang.

"Yello?"

"You need to go after that Poltergeist!" said Gadd. "The passage in the bookshelf won't open without the book they took!"

"Just my luck," huffed Luigi.

"The Parascope doesn't work well in the Treacherous Mansion, but I'll try to find them!" Gadd went on. "Okay—here we go—eureka! They're located somewhere on this floor—on the west side. I know—not very precise, but better than nothing! Start searching while I keep trying."

"_Ciao_." Luigi hung up before peering through a nearby crack in the wall.

"My God—that looks like the train exhibit," he mused. "I need to get that book back!"

Luigi went back to the inner courtyard and used the rotor to turn the staircase until it faced left. From there, he accessed the west corridor. Right off the bat, he noticed a purple gelatinous puddle on the floor and shone the DLD on it before the puddle shaped itself into a Creeper. After vacuuming up the Creeper, he continued down the west corridor, capturing more Creepers as he went, a few of them surprising him and giving him gelatinous hugs before he turned the tables on them. After that, he had to fend off a few spiders before heading into an aviation exhibit.

Several Strong Hiders and Strong Greenies were hiding in a giant hot air balloon model, and they attacked Luigi the second he approached them. After he defeated the ghosts, he released the hot air balloon model from its tether, uncovering a diamond hidden in a grate below. Back in the west corridor, he came upon a hidden door, turning it visible with his DLD and heading into a space exhibit.

The space exhibit consisted of a model rocket, a couple of telescopes, a smaller model rocket and a model of the moon's surface. An E-Gate happened to be concealed in the rocket, which Luigi quickly activated. One of the telescopes ominously rattled, and Luigi, suspicious, decided to look through it.

He saw the Strong Poltergeist, telekinetically manipulating the book he needed, floating atop a crater-laden planet surrounded by rocks. There were additional planets in the background, along with orbiting moons and a bright, light blue star. Luigi couldn't help but be entranced by the sight, as it reminded him that on the grand scale of things, he was quite small.

And then he was standing on the planet, the Strong Poltergeist laughing at him. He recovered his wits and readied himself to fight as his opponent disappeared into one of the planet's craters. The surrounding rocks began to spin around the planet at a steadily increasing speed, and the Strong Poltergeist hurled star-shaped projectiles at Luigi. Skillfully maintaining his balance, he waited for the enhanced ghost to rematerialize before stunning them with the Strobulb. There was barely anything to anchor himself against here, except for maybe the planet's rough surface, so when the Strong Poltergeist tugged at him, he just tugged back harder. Finally, the Strong Poltergeist broke free, and the rocks surrounding the planet starting spinning counterclockwise.

Now, Luigi had to watch out for numerous bombs popping out of the planet's craters, in addition to the star-shaped projectiles. The bombs' fuses were too short, so he couldn't risk throwing the bombs back at his adversary. In addition to the bombs, the Strong Poltergeist would summon those pesky beetles. But Luigi thought about Mario, once again in a portrait and paraded around in a burlap sack like a prize, this time unable to move or scream. He could only see the book that would allow him into the train exhibit. And so he took it all—the beetle bites, the bombs and the star-shaped projectiles—he took everything his enhanced foe threw at him to get that book in his hands.

Luigi was nearly dead on his feet when he overcame the Strong Poltergeist and reclaimed the book, but two of those hearts replenished his health. He returned to the study and slid the book into the bookshelf, which lifted to reveal a door.

"I did it!" he cried.

He was about to walk through the door when he hesitated. There were probably more Boos in the area, more Boos he needed to capture so they wouldn't even _entertain_ the idea of threatening Mario again. His gaze landed on some gum-like plants to his right. If there were more areas to explore, then he couldn't afford to leave any stone unturned. But what if it was a distraction, allowing King Boo to whisk Mario away?

_Go_, he heard a voice say. _I'll be fine. You need to get rid of any Boos out and about. They won't let you near me._

Unwillingly, Luigi sucked up a gum-like plant, headed back into the main entrance and floated up to a gargoyle statue. Flashing the Strobulb at the statue caused it to drop a book similar to the ones he saw in the Dark Age exhibit. Returning the book to the small bookshelf there yielded another diamond.

Using the gum-like plants, Luigi was able to access more areas in the exhibits he'd explored earlier. By completing mini-games and solving puzzles, he earned additional treasure and diamonds. But there was still a Boo lurking around—he could feel it.

He found the Boo after solving a puzzle in the Dark Age exhibit, which involved collecting floating coins arranged in a Boo shape within a certain time limit. The Boo hid inside a treasure chest which materialized upon the puzzle's successful completion.

"Ahem—I am Booreaucrat! This mansion is now under the ownership of King Boo, Esquire," said the Boo. "I take it you have the proper credentials to be here, including ID and a mansion-roaming license?"

"How's _this_ for a mansion-roaming license?" snapped Luigi, pointing the Poltergust's nozzle at Booreaucrat.

"I'll take that as a 'no'," cackled Booreaucrat. "I guess you'll have to be penalized!"

But Luigi wound up penalizing Booreaucrat—by launching them all over the Dark Age exhibit and then shoving them into the Poltergust to join their Boo buddies.

_Good,_ the voice said. _You did good. Now head back to the study—quickly_!

That's just what Luigi did, finally entering the train exhibit. He coldly took down the enhanced Sneakers and Hiders who made the mistake of trying to attack him, and then he searched the exhibit top to bottom for Mario.

_Look in the miniature train model,_ said the voice.

When Luigi obliged, he stopped breathing. He could see his imprisoned brother, shrunken to bite size, as bite-sized Boos formed a semi-circle in front of him. They giggled at him, made faces at him, taunted him—and sensually licked the canvas from time to time. Luigi's knees gave out, tears coming to his eyes.

"Mario…"

A Boo suddenly jumped into his face, giggling evilly.

"Come along, you green p—y," they challenged. "We have him. Now come get him."

Luigi's blood boiled, but before he could rebuke the Boo, his Dual Scream rang.

"What?" he barked.

"Do you see him?" asked Gadd.

"They—he—he's in the—miniature train—model," spluttered Luigi. "They're hovering around him, laughing at him and _licking_ the canvas. He's immobile, but I think he can hear what they're saying and…"

"Steady, my boy," said Gadd. "I'm bringing you back so we can formulate a game plan. Hold on tight."

"Okay," exhaled Luigi.

He hung up and took one last look at his imperiled big bro.

"It's okay, Mario," he said. "I'm here now. I'm here now…"

**…**

"Chin up, Luigi," said Gadd. "We'll get your brother back."

"How?" Luigi wanted to know. "They shrunk him down to bite-size and stashed him in the miniature train model."

"I know a way," said Gadd. "Empty your Poltergust, and then I'll tell you."

Once all of the ghosts Luigi had captured were safely in the Vault, Gadd began to detail his plan.

"Did you happen to see that tiny camera inside the miniature model of the train exhibit?" he asked.

"Not really. No," replied Luigi.

"I might be able to route the Pixelator to it and send you in!" announced Gadd. "Of course, it's incredibly dangerous. I've never tried pixelating anything or anyone with such a small camera."

"If it's the only way, then it's worth a shot," said Luigi.

"You're absolutely right," said Gadd.

Luigi headed into the lounge and whipped out his phone. He had to warn the MK!

**Please R&R.**


	33. E-4: Ambush Maneuver

** "Is everything arranged?" asked the King.**

** "Yes, Your Grace," replied a Boo.**

** "The train exhibit, yes?"**

** "That's the place."**

** "Good." King Boo smiled. "We have him wrapped around our appendages. He'll come in there, hoping to find his beloved brother, and be met with our special surprise for him instead. I defy him to try and escape our little trap!"**

** "Fear not, Your Grace," said the Boo. "Our muscle is very dependable. They've waited twelve long years for a rematch."**

** "I can't wait to watch him get his just desserts," King Boo sighed pleasurably, "and once he's been taken care of, I intend to join my reclaimed prize in Miami Beach for a few restful months. Our muscle and right-hand Boo will rule in my stead until I return."**

** "Sounds like a plan," said the Boo.**

** The King dismissed the other Boo and then settled back, patiently waiting for the man in green's moment of reckoning…**

**…**

"You were right," Luigi spoke urgently into his phone. "King Boo has him—and he's probably had him since this mess with the Dark Moon started! I don't care where you are—get inside the castle, lock the windows, lock the doors, arm the security system and arm yourselves! Have Peach declare a state of emergency and issue a shelter in place warning! There might be Boos coming after you all as we speak!"

"Done and done," said Brad. "Nobody's using _us_ as bait."

"I don't think he wants to use you as bait," Luigi told him. "He wants you for something far worse. To hurt me—by hurting you!"

"Well, we're not gonna give him that chance," vowed Brad. "Don't worry about us, and don't worry about Peach. We'll know just what to do. Now, go and save your brother—we're counting on you!"

"God be with us," breathed Luigi before ending the call.

He rejoined Gadd and his Toad Assistants.

"_Please_ tell me that you hooked up the Pixelator to that small camera," he said.

"It wasn't easy," said Gadd, "but we got it done."

"Thank God," said Luigi.

"The Parascope is still picking up that huge paranormal signal," said Ed. "It's _got_ to be King Boo!"

"The signal isn't moving, so we suspect he's up to something major—and evil—in there," added Ted.

Luigi stomach churned.

"It's the perfect time for us to strike!" said Gadd. "If we can surprise him, then he won't have time to react."

"Good point," Luigi said quietly.

"With the mini camera right there, they'll never see you coming!" trilled Fred.

"Are you ready, Luigi?" asked Ned. "This is it!"

"Yes it is, Ned," said Luigi. "Yes it is. I'm gonna head in there, get the drop on King Boo and rescue my bro!"

"And while you're at it, capture King Boo," added Zed.

"This is a golden opportunity," said Gadd. "Good luck, Luigi!"

Luigi squared his shoulders as Gadd sent him off to the train exhibit.

**…**

The miniature train model wasn't much to look at. A small, simple track ran in a circle, and the train model itself was simply a few bright red boxcars. About three feet or so from the train was a bunch of multicolored balloons. But the oddest thing about the exhibit was that the train's engine was missing.

That could only mean one thing…

Luigi shone the Dark-Light Device toward the front of the train, the engine gradually revealing itself and expelling a handful of Spirit Balls. Once he vacuumed up the Spirit Balls, the train tooted her whistle and began to chug down the track, popping the balloons as she went.

"There goes my element of surprise," huffed Luigi.

Looking around the exhibit, Luigi realized that the Boos he'd seen earlier were missing—as was Mario.

"Hello?" he called. "Mario? Can you hear me? Are you all right?"

He nearly jumped out of his skin at the sound of high-pitched, maniacal giggling, whirling around to face a Boo.

"Looking for someone?" they mockingly asked.

This Boo was immediately joined by several more Boos, all of them giggling and leering at Luigi as the heat rose to his face and he brandished the Poltergust.

"Get back!" he shouted. "I'm not afraid to use this!"

"We know," said the Boo.

His vacuum poised, Luigi watched as the Boos merged together to form one ginormous Boo.

"Dear God in Heaven," he murmured. This _had_ to be Boolossus, looking for a rematch!

"I may not be the King, but I sure am big," boasted Boolossus. "Big enough to crush _you_!"

With a laugh, they barreled themselves at Luigi, but he leaped out of the way before they could crash-tackle him. That was when he knew—King Boo and his constituents had anticipated his arrival. Instead of him trapping them, Luigi had been the one ambushed and lured into a trap!

_That sly dog_, thought Luigi as Boolossus—if that really was Boolossus—dove after him again. He tightened his grip on the Poltergust's nozzle and steadied his breathing. The man in green was gonna fight his way out and find Mario, or perish in the attempt!

As the train chugged around the two combatants, Boolossus—Luigi decided to call them Boolossus II—continued to attack the plumber by crash-tackling him from above or ramming him from slightly underground. But Luigi hearkened back to his fight with the first Boolossus and how he "popped" them into their smaller Boo components with the horn of a nearby unicorn statue. Well, there was no unicorn statue here, but there was a drill mounted on the front of the train's engine. If he could find a way to stun Boolossus II and then launch them onto that drill—

A small smile quirked onto Luigi's lips, and then he rolled clear of another attack, sending Boolossus II ramming into the side of the train. Quickly, he ran forward, grabbed the giant Boo's tongue in his vacuum and pulled it taut. When the drill was in sight, Luigi aimed carefully, took a deep breath and released Boolossus II like a slingshot. It was a clean, direct hit, and just as he predicted and hoped, Boolossus II "popped" into their regular-sized Boo components.

The train stopped briefly, the tops of her boxcars opening into small compartments, before continuing on, and then Luigi knew exactly how to defeat Boolossus II and escape the trap.

He whirled on the first Boo he saw, pulling their tongue taut and launching them into one of the compartments, the door slamming shut and trapping them inside. Then, he did the same to as many Boos as he could, shining the DLD on them whenever they turned invisible and buying himself a few extra seconds. The Boos could attack individually, as well, ramming into him from behind or from the side, and though the pain made his eyes water, he dared not stop fighting.

The remaining Boos reformed into Boolossus II, and then it all began again. Stunning the gigantic Boo by tricking them into hitting the train, or waiting for them to mess up an attack by missing their target and landing on the train instead. Yanking none-too-gently on their tongue and sending them flying into the drill. Trapping the individual Boos into the train compartments. As the number of open compartments dwindled, Luigi had to improve his timing as well as his aiming, and the Boos would attack fiercer and fiercer, slashing into his belly, sides and near his chest. He also wound up taking hits from Boolossus II; while he managed to avoid getting flattened, he'd get knocked to the floor by their ramming attack or winded by a crash-tackle. Sometimes, Boolossus II would knock _him_ into the train! However, Luigi kept getting up and cutting the colossal Boo down to size, knowing that he was the only one who'd keep Mario from succumbing to the Boos' physical and psychological torment.

_If I let the Boos overcome me, then he'll break. I can't let that happen. I can't! I _won't_!_

_No, you won't. You can do it, Luigi!_

And so, Luigi whittled Boolossus II down to one last Boo. That final Boo was a pain in the [bleep], since there was only one open compartment left. He'd keep missing by only a few millimeters, or his timing would be off by only half a second, or _something_ would happen to cause him to mess up. The Boo managed to get in a few more attacks before Luigi finally succeeded in trapping them.

_You're hurt…_

"It doesn't matter," said Luigi.

_You're bleeding…_

"It doesn't matter," Luigi said again. "Nothing else matters—except saving you from _him_."

_Oh, Luigi…_

The Dual Scream rang.

"Yello?"

"That was _definitely_ not King Boo!" exclaimed Gadd.

Luigi nodded. "We've been duped," he said.

"Was that—Boolossus?" asked Gadd.

"I think so," replied Luigi, "but maybe that was a different Boolossus. The Boolossus I fought back in 2001 had glowing eyes."

"Thank God you managed to escape their little ambush maneuver," said Gadd.

"I don't see Mario, though," said Luigi. "My guess is that they lured me here before taking him somewhere else."

"Don't you worry—we'll find him," promised Gadd. "Now hang on. I'll try to get you out of there."

"_Ciao_."

Overjoyed that he'd turned the Boos' ambush maneuver around on them, Luigi did a goofy little dance before getting pixelated to safety.

**…**

"Are you okay, youngster?" asked Gadd.

"I'll live," said Luigi.

He slid off the Poltergust, and the Toad Assistants proceeded to help him tend to his wounds.

"I can't believe King Boo pulled a fast one on us like that," lamented Gadd. "As a man of science, I should've known better. He probably staged the security image to lure you there!"

"Who's to say that he didn't stage all of them?" Fred piped up.

"Better not answer that," muttered Ned.

"It's just like you told me, Professor," said Luigi, wincing as Zed applied dabbing alcohol to his injuries. "Boos always spell trouble, especially when they gang up."

"But those Boos won't be bothering us anytime soon," said Gadd. "They were still trapped in that train when I brought you back, but I made a quick tweak to the Pixelator and sent them all down to the Vault!"

"Good going!" cried Ted.

"King Boo is still out there, though," said Fred, "and this won't end until we defeat him."

"Do you know where he's hiding now, Professor?" asked Luigi.

"Uh—let me find out," said Gadd, firing up the Parascope.

"You're not going anywhere until we've finished dressing your wounds, though," said Ned.

"I know," sighed Luigi. "I know."

**…**

** He hovered there, slack-jawed, unable and unwilling to process what he just saw. Boolossus had Luigi dead to rights, but that plumber and that f—ing vacuum just—unbelievable! The King's right-hand Boo was manhandled by that drill, and then the Boos making them up were unceremoniously flung into those train compartments before being sent off to God-knows-where! He was **_**so**_** looking forward to a vacation on a warm, sandy beach, but Luigi always had to ruin everything, didn't he?**

** King Boo spat out a flurry of invective directed at the green-clad ghost-hunter. His constituents saw their ruler's current state of mind and wisely made themselves scarce. That was fine by him. All he wanted at this moment was Luigi, to hear him beg for mercy and eventually scream in fear and pain as he took **_**everything**_** from him.**

** "So **_**that's**_** how you want to play it?" hissed King Boo once he'd calmed down. "No problem. I'll see this universe **_**burn**_** if that means getting you into my clutches!"**

* * *

**Please R&R.**


	34. Terrifying Invasion

Fred, Zed, Ned, Ted and Ed finished ministering to the last of Luigi's wounds as Gadd sat at the console, searching for any sign of King Boo. Then, the man in green poured himself some more sweet wine to soothe and steady his nerves. Just as he finished the glass, Gadd stiffened.

"Mary, mother of God…" he uttered.

"What's wrong?" asked Luigi.

"The Parascope just picked something up," Gadd told him, "and it looks really serious."

"Is it King Boo?" asked Fred.

"No," replied Gadd. "It's the Treacherous Mansion—it's crawling with ghosts! They're trying to reclaim the property like the previous four locales, and I'm starting to think that King Boo is behind it!"

"Who else is there to consider?" Ned wanted to know. "My guess is that King Boo flew into a rage every time we recovered a Dark Moon piece."

"But we still haven't recovered the last Dark Moon piece," said Luigi. "Maybe this is a preemptive strike to keep us from doing so."

"You're on the ball with that one, my friend," said Zed.

"That psycho just sent out a horde of ghosts to take the Treacherous Mansion back!" reported Gadd. "And not just any ghosts—he's sending the strongest ghosts he's got! A terrifying invasion if there ever was one!"

"If he succeeds, then his army of ghosts will be able to invade all of Evershade Valley and beyond!" Ed chimed in.

Luigi snatched at his hair. "What if—he escapes with my bro while I'm dealing with these ghosts? What then?"

"You have a chance of nipping this in a bud, Luigi," Ted said comfortingly. "Then, you can chase after King Boo, kick his [bleep] and whisk Mario to safety."

"I hope so," said Luigi.

"You'll need to give this everything you have, Luigi!" said Fred. "We have faith in you, and we know your bro does, too!"

"Okeydokey—let's do this!" cried Luigi.

He hardly even flinched as Gadd Pixelated him out.

**…**

"There they are!" shouted Gadd once Luigi arrived at the front entrance. "Check your map, my boy!"

The first batch of ghosts were located in the Dark Age exhibit, and most of them were enhanced and armed with swords and shields. Luigi plugged in his earbuds, let out a breath and let those ghosts have it. He barely felt the swords when they slashed him or the heavy shields when they bashed him. His mind was fixed on capturing these ghosts and getting to Mario in time. Eventually, he found an opening, stunned the ghosts and sucked them into the Poltergust.

"No time to rest, youngster!" Gadd exclaimed. "I've pinpointed the next bunch for you!"

More enhanced ghosts had taken over the study and the east corridor. There were Strong Greenies, Strong Slammers and "mummies" in the latter location, and Strong Sneakers, Strong Hiders and enhanced ghosts wearing some sort of eye protection in the former location. Luigi's body was sore by the time he'd cleared out both rooms, but he was too wired, worried and motivated to acknowledge it.

"Don't give up—the final wave has appeared!" cried Gadd. "You can do it!"

This final wave had taken over the archives, the nautical exhibit and the space exhibit. As Luigi trekked through each of these rooms, battling every enhanced ghost that came his way, his blood was pumping harder, faster. His skin was hot, perspiration sparkled on his face and his shirt was stuck to him. He had to remind himself to breathe at a steady pace at least twice. None of these ghosts went down without a fight, but now, Luigi no longer expected them to. The Treacherous Mansion echoed with the Strobulb's _ZZAPP_, the Poltergust's whirring, the enhanced ghosts' chattering and the ghost-hunter's deep breaths and occasional grunts with effort. It wasn't long before Luigi's fingers ached from gripping the nozzle, his hands wet with sweat. Without even stopping, he shifted his grip before pressing on harder than ever. These ghosts wouldn't stand in the way of helping his sibling, enhanced or otherwise!

Through sheer will, Luigi put an end to this terrifying invasion. Hearing the Dual Scream ring, he answered it with a breathless "Yeah?"

"Amazing, Luigi! Simply amazing!" gushed Gadd. "You're the finest ghost hunter I've ever laid eyes on! They never knew what hit 'em!"

"We're not out of it yet, though," said Luigi.

"I want you to rest before we plan our next move, all right?" asked Gadd. "Sit tight—I'm firing up the Pixelator."

"_Ciao_," said Luigi before hanging up.

When it came to dealing with King Boo, a well thought-out plan was key.

**…**

"Another crisis has been averted, Luigi!" cheered Gadd. "However, I didn't think the Poltergust 5000 could hold that many ghosts! Let's unload her, posthaste!"

Luigi emptied his reliable ghost vacuum before allowing the Toad Assistants to fuss over his fresh wounds.

"I still can't believe you pulled that off," Gadd said in wonder.

"Me, neither," said Luigi.

"However, something tells me that King Boo has a far more destructive scheme up his sleeve," Gadd went on. "That this takeover attempt—was merely a warm-up of things to come."

Silence.

"Like I said—it was probably a preemptive strike," said Luigi, "and now that I've foiled it…"

He was cut off when an alarm sounded.

Gadd's face paled as he ran over to check the Parascope. And his 72 years of paranormal research couldn't prepare him for what he saw…

**More to come!**


	35. E-5: Paranormal Chaos

"What is it, Professor?" Ted asked with concern.

"Yeah, is everything all right?" added Fred.

"I—the…" spluttered Gadd. "The paranormal levels in the Treacherous Mansion are spiking!"

"That can't be good," groaned Zed.

"I have no idea what's happening yet…" Gadd tinkered with the Parascope some more, and then—

"Oh, dear Lord. Sweet Lord," breathed Gadd.

Luigi's breath hitched. "What's happening?" he asked.

"We've just picked up a radical new signal," said Gadd. "A distortion in the very fabric of our dimension!"

"J—s," hissed Ed. "_That_ can't be good."

"I'm afraid we've been confronted with something we've never seen before," Gadd went on. "A paranormal portal—and it's located on the Treacherous Mansion's terrace!"

"Okay—how on Earth did a paranormal portal wind up in Evershade Valley?!" balked Ned.

"This—is King Boo's doing," Gadd said slowly. "He's _definitely_ not messing around anymore."

Luigi crossed himself, and the Toad Assistants did the same thing.

"I think King Boo has the last Dark Moon piece—and Mario—in that paranormal portal," Gadd continued. "Luigi, I'm sending you in to investigate. And—entering a paranormal portal of this caliber is dangerous, but what choice do we have?"

"None at all, Professor," Luigi found himself saying. "None at all."

Gadd marked the terrace's location on the Dual Scream. "The future of Evershade Valley is in your hands," he solemnly intoned. "God be with you."

"God be with you, too," said Luigi.

Gadd uttered a short prayer as he activated the Pixelator.

**…**

Luigi was deposited in the inner courtyard, but before heading for the terrace, he made a quick stop in the aviation exhibit. His gut told him that a Boo was floating about in there, and when he saw that the hot air balloon model was missing, he was proven right. After he uncovered the hot air balloon and vacuumed up the Spirit Balls, the Boo jumped out in Luigi's face!

"I'm MaraBoo! Aren't my feathers classy?"

"I have no time for this," huffed Luigi as he shone his DLD on MaraBoo. "I have a brother—and a valley—to save!"

Quickly, he captured MaraBoo before returning to the Inner Courtyard. He used the rotor to turn the staircase until it faced center. Then, he raced up the steps and into the terrace.

Luigi skidded to a halt and almost forgot how to breathe when he saw King Boo floating near a golden altar, his back to him. With a crazed cackle, the Master of Illusions built up power in his bejeweled crown before firing a pinkish-purple bolt of energy directly above the altar. There was a low but mighty rumble before the sky itself tore asunder, creating a wide, giant portal. Laughing in satisfaction, King Boo flew inside the portal, which began to glow a bright pink. Tentatively, Luigi took a few steps toward the portal—and then screamed out as enhanced ghosts came flooding out of it.

Back in the Bunker, Gadd and his Toad Assistants hit the deck, assuming the "duck-and-cover" position, when they saw a brilliant flash of pink light. Seconds later, they heard a muffled but loud _boom_ and felt a sharp jolt.

"What in the name of everything holy was that?!" Fred sharply asked.

"Whatever it is—Luigi's smack-dab in the middle of it!" exclaimed Ned.

Slowly, the Bunker's occupants rose to their feet, Gadd running over to check the Parascope. The device was going bonkers, its paranormal readings completely off the charts!

"The paranormal portal," the professor realized, with dawning horror.

The Toad Assistants yelped at another pink flash and _boom_, and Gadd wasted no time contacting Luigi.

Back on the terrace, Luigi's heart pounded furiously as he took out the Dual Scream and answered the professor's call.

"Professor—I…" he began.

Gadd cut him off, the rising urgency in his voice making the situation clear. "The paranormal levels just shot through the roof!" he cried. "This is really serious!"

"Yeah, you think?" Luigi bit out.

"The portal will have to wait," Gadd told him. "We've got to reduce the paranormality, or our very dimension will collapse upon itself!"

The Toad Assistants cursed. Luigi looked ready to faint, but he quickly pulled himself together.

"I'll keep you updated as best as I can," said Gadd. "Now look lively! My Toad Assistants and I will be praying for you!"

"King Boo's gone completely off his rocker," said Luigi. "At this point, he'll see the whole universe in flames if it will make him king of the ashes. May God help us all, Professor."

He hung up, squared his shoulders and rolled up his sleeves before dashing back into the inner courtyard.

As pink lightning flashed and crashed all around him, Luigi went from exhibit to exhibit, facing off against the hordes of berserk ghosts who smashed, threw, tore up and weaponized anything they could get their hands on. In between battling these ghosts, he kept a close eye on the Dual Scream's map projection. Presently, all of the rooms were lit up in a lime-green glow, but it slowly and ominously faded to a yellow color. Luigi instantly knew that if he took too long, then the color would change to red. And once that happened—there would be a cataclysmic disaster imminent.

First, Luigi cleared out the exhibits in the east section of the Treacherous Mansion, and then he tackled the ghost-infested exhibits in the west section. On top of all that, there were ghosts running amok in the restrooms and the kitchen. Due to the severity of the situation, Luigi had to keep both his ears open, so he couldn't put on any music. But at this point, he didn't need it. His grip on the Poltergust 5000 never wavered, even as the "thunderstorm" continued to rage outside. A fully-charged Strobulb flash could light up entire rooms, like a beacon in a lighthouse. The ghosts he confronted had an ungodly amount of HP, and their attacks were stronger than the previous ghosts he'd fought. However, he kept on, not daring to stop and rest for even a second. He thought of nothing else but Mario and getting him out of this paranormal chaos.

At some point, Luigi detached himself from the pain, doubt and apprehension he was feeling, the "what-ifs" threatening to drag him down—and narrowed everything down to this one goal. He envisioned Mario's face and what could happen to him should he fail; he recalled the look in those sea-blue eyes when he showed up at that Secret Altar in 2001, ready to do battle with his captor. He remembered the mantra that kept him marching on through those creepy halls, and he began mentally reciting it. _Do it for him. Do it for him. Do it for him._

Luigi's eyes narrowed as he confronted the enhanced ghosts. They tried to pull away from his vacuum's suction, but he fiercely raked his tongue across his lips and yanked back as hard as he dared. He found anything solid and steady to brace himself against—walls, furniture, cabinets, bookshelves—if it could stand up to his weight, then it was fair game. Crazed and berserk Greenies, Slammers, Gobbers and a host of other ghosts pounded him, punched him, pelted him with projectiles, slashed him, spat slime at him and even tried to skewer him, but he'd become a juggernaut, these attacks barely slowing him down. The captured ghosts would drop large quantities of gold, but that didn't matter anymore. Luigi was cleaning house, getting rid of every spook and spirit and busting up this haunted zoo, fighting for his life, for Mario's life, for Evershade Valley and for time and space itself.

A mild ache arose in his lungs by the time he'd subdued all of the ghosts in all of the exhibits. He stumbled into the kitchen, splashed some water onto his face, grabbed a bottle of ice-cold water from the fridge and drank from it, gulp after gulp.

"Luigi!" Gadd's voice started to crack. "Get back to the terrace, posthaste! I'm getting some mighty strange readings from there!"

That's exactly what Luigi did. And on that terrace, he became a one-man army against the seemingly endless waves of enhanced ghosts surging from the paranormal portal. Greenies, armed Greenies, Greenies with paranormal shields, Slammers, Sneakers, Gobbers, "mummies" and even beetles—it went on and on and on. Any ordinary person would've broken down on the spot—but not Luigi. Intensity blazed from him as he stood his ground, his mouth rounded and his breathing carefully controlled, refusing to give the Poltergust even the quickest break. That vacuum and the continuous thoughts of Mario were all he had in this long, dark night, and he had a chance of making it through. It was a fool's chance, yes, but it was better than zero chance.

Inside the Bunker, Fred uttered a Hail Mary as he and his colleagues crowded together, clinging to each other for support and reassurance.

"He's not gonna die in there," Gadd said to them. "He's not gonna die. Not tonight. Not like this."

"That psycho probably has a bounty on all of us," said Ted. "Luigi captured him and gave him a taste of karma by imprisoning him in a portrait, and your inventions enabled him to do so."

"And since we're your employees, we're guilty by association in his eyes!" cried Zed.

"All right, we all need to stay calm," Gadd said soothingly. "Panicking will only worsen the situation."

The professor prepared some hot cocoa and cider, and they all sat around to drink it, quietly watching on the centermost monitor as the enhanced, berserk ghosts continued to buffet and drag Luigi around. But with each ghost he captured, four more materialized. Gadd started to wonder what kind of s—storm he sent Luigi into.

So engrossed were they in watching the action that the powerful flash of pink light caught them all off-guard.

"Motherf…!" spat Ned.

"Sweet J—s! That was a big one!" Ted exclaimed.

"And that doesn't mean good news," said Gadd, checking the Parascope.

The area encompassing the terrace was now bright red! He had to warn Luigi!

"We're reaching the paranormal limit!" he shouted over the cacophony of battle. "At this rate, our dimension will collapse upon itself within the next three minutes! Hurry!"

"Three minutes?! You think he can deal with this rabble in three minutes?!" wailed Ed.

"He's gonna have to try," said Fred.

By now, the flashes of pink lightning had become more frequent, accompanied by earthquake-like shaking and shuddering. The Bunker's lights blinked on and off, and the image on the monitor wildly jumped around. But Gadd and the Toad Assistants could still get a clear view of Luigi, sweating and bleeding and bruised and exhausted and in obvious pain but stubbornly continuing to fight until the bitter end.

Eventually, a single enhanced Gobber was Luigi's remaining opponent, but with an estimated 90 seconds remaining until an apocalyptic meltdown, there was no comfort in that fact at all. This Gobber spat out balls of gunk that could knock Luigi back quite a distance if he didn't dodge them quickly enough, and they also weaponized their large, rotund form. As the seconds relentlessly ticked down, there was no sound in the terrace, save for the booming and crashing, the Gobber hawking up projectiles and laughing, the vacuum whirring, the Strobulb zapping in bright white starbursts, the Power Surge activating, Luigi gasping for breath and grunting with effort—and a chorus of Boos' high-pitched cackling, joined by their leader's insane giggles.

_Do it for him, _Luigi silently repeated, again and again. _Do it for him._

And then the enhanced Gobber was mercifully sucked into the Poltergust with a few precious seconds to spare.

It was over.

For now.

Luigi slumped to the ground with a choked sob, the detached ghost-hunter giving way to the numerous emotions flooding through him.

Inside the Bunker, Gadd took a few shaky breaths as the Toad Assistants wept with relief, thanking God and whoever else had a hand in stopping this madness.

"You—are a ghost-catching artist, you know that?" asked Gadd when he contacted Luigi.

The man in green was hyperventilating, his pupils dilated and his frame quivering. "I—I…" he said.

"You _are_," said Gadd, "and the Poltergust 5000 is your paintbrush. Which, by the way, must be jam-packed with ghosts!"

"It is," said Luigi.

"Let's unload it before you go through that creepy portal," said Gadd.

"I could use a little break," Luigi shakily conceded. "See you soon."

He hung up and waited for Gadd to recall him to the Bunker.

**…**

"Could somebody please get me a f—ing drink?" Luigi asked the second he arrived in the Bunker.

Fred obliged, giving the green-clad plumber a mug of cider.

Luigi blew on the liquid, took a few swallows and then set the mug aside to empty the Poltergust.

"No offense," he said when all of the ghosts had been sent into the Vault, "but [bleep] the cider. May I have some wine, please?"

"Yes, you may," said Fred.

He disappeared into the lounge and emerged with a nice, chilled bottle of Moscato.

"Thank you," said Luigi as he crumpled onto a chair, took the bottle and opened it. His hands trembled as he attempted to fill the glass Ned had given him.

"Here," said Gadd. "Let me."

"Thanks," Luigi said quietly as the elderly professor poured the wine.

"We didn't think you'd make it, my boy," said Gadd, "but we're sure glad you did."

"Yeah—that must've been one Hell of a challenge," added Fred.

"Good job capturing those ghosts," Ed chimed in.

"We can't celebrate yet," warned Luigi. "King Boo's still out there, and Mario's still at his mercy."

"He must've flipped out when he saw you defeat Boolossus II," Gadd put in. "That's why he opened up a paranormal portal and sent out those ghosts. But by doing so, he showed us exactly how to get to him!"

"How?" asked Ted.

"The paranormal portal, of course," replied Gadd. "It's still open, but we've got to hurry! Who knows when he'll close it?"

He clapped his hands and spun around in his swivel chair. "King Boo—wherever you are, your days are numbered," he chuckled. "Right, Luigi?"

Luigi's face was pale and set. "Right."

_I'm coming, Big Bro…_

* * *

**Please R&R.**


	36. Stop the Knightmare

His hands still trembled as he dialed Brad's number, and he was close to tears. Thanks to him, an epic disaster had been narrowly avoided. Yet for the life of him, he couldn't stop mulling over what _would've_ happened had he been only a _fraction_ of a second too late.

"Hey, Luigi," said Brad when he picked up.

Luigi swallowed back a sob. "Oh, Brad," he said. "Tell Peach—that she's been an important part of my life. Falling down that pipe into her kingdom and rescuing her alongside Mario was one of the best things that ever happened to me. Could you—could you tell her that, please? And tell her—I said—thank you."

"Luigi, I—I don't follow," Brad said nervously.

"King Boo—he's gone bat-[bleep] insane! He ripped open a paranormal portal and sent out a bunch of crazed ghosts and…" His voice broke, and he covered his mouth to muffle the hysterical sobs that escaped from him.

The five Toad Assistants tottered over to comfort him. On the other end of the line, he heard another familiar voice say something to Brad.

"All right, Luigi," said Brad. "The Princess is standing next to me. I'm gonna put her on, okay?"

"Okay," Luigi managed to reply.

"Luigi? Can you hear me?" asked Peach's dulcet voice.

"Y-yeah. Can you hear me?"

"Yes, I can. Now, what's this talk about thanking me? It's almost like—you're saying goodbye."

"Well—it doesn't look good right now, and I just want you to know—you've offered me the adventure of a lifetime," Luigi said through his tears. "Did you hear what happened?"

"Yes. A shelter-in-place warning, as well as a civil danger warning, is currently in effect," Peach replied. "Now listen to me, Luigi, and listen good. Your game—your story—your adventure—is far from over. I have faith in you. My constituents have faith in you. The Professor has faith in you. In short, we all have faith in you. You are gonna look King Boo in the eye and remind him who you truly are. You're gonna fight him tooth and nail and send him back where he belongs. You're gonna find your big brother, and you're gonna bring him home."

"You're right," Luigi hiccupped. In a stronger voice, he repeated. "You're right. I will."

"You can't give up now," said Peach. "Not when you're so close."

"And I won't," Luigi told her. "Thank you, Princess. I feel much better now."

"Great," breathed Peach. "Now go get him! We'll be waiting for you!"

"Stay safe," said Luigi before hanging up.

Then, he ducked into the bathroom and washed his face.

"Luigi…" Gadd started to say when the plumber emerged.

"He needs me," Luigi said simply. "I can't abandon him."

Gadd bit his lip. "I want to be brave," he said.

Luigi slid his hand over the Professor's. "You are," he told him, looking him deep in the eyes. "You're one of the bravest people I know."

Gadd reached up and took off his glasses. "I've spent the past 72 years trying to be strong," he said softly. "When I was a child, I used to be afraid of ghosts. They'd keep me up at night. After I started researching them, I realized that they're nothing to be scared of. But at this moment—I'm afraid. I'm afraid of losing you because of a stupid mistake I made. If you die…"

"Tonight is not the night I die," said Luigi. "You're not gonna lose me. _That's_ a promise."

Gadd leaned forward and pressed his forehead to Luigi's. They stayed that way for a few moments before the elderly professor composed himself, wiped his eyes and slid his glasses back on.

Silence in the Bunker.

"This is it," Luigi said finally. "It all comes down to this."

Gadd nodded, having reacquired his professional and unflappable demeanor. "All paths seem to be pointing toward that mysterious portal on the terrace," he said. "The Parascope can't find the Dark Moon piece anywhere. There's no place left for it to be. And the same goes for King Boo—and Mario!"

"King Boo must be p—ed that you captured all of the ghosts he sent through that portal," added Fred.

"And when King Boo's p—ed," Ted put in, "then the target of his wrath is certainly marked for death."

"Well, there's only one thing I have to say to Death," said Luigi. "'Not today'."

"You're right, Luigi," said Gadd. "This is it. This is the moment of truth."

Luigi took a deep breath and adjusted the Poltergust's straps. "Okay," he said. "I'm ready."

"Wait," said Gadd. "Before I send you into that portal and possibly toward certain death—I—there's something you need to know, Luigi."

"What's that, Professor?"

"I want you to know—that I'm very proud of you, my boy," Gadd said tearfully. "Very proud. You've come a long way."

Luigi gave a broad smile. "_Grazie_, Professor. That means so much to me."

Gadd sniffled. "Good luck, youngster," he said.

Luigi rolled his shoulders a few times before sucking in another breath and slowly streaming it out, calming the butterflies in his stomach. "For my bro," he said solemnly.

"For Mario," said Gadd.

"For Mario," said Fred.

"For Mario," said Zed.

"For Mario," said Ned.

"For Mario," said Ted.

"For Mario," said Ed.

Reluctantly, Gadd activated the Pixelator and sent Luigi to the terrace. Then, he and the Toad Assistants breathed a prayer for the ghost hunter as he was almost immediately sucked into the paranormal portal.

**…**

Luigi landed on the ground hard and then rolled onto his back, swearing in pain. Once he'd recovered, he hopped to his feet and drank in his surroundings.

He now stood in a strange room with three crimson carpets, which had gold borders on them. There were suits of armor propped up against the walls, and outside, he could see swirls of different shades of purple. However, Luigi also spotted the final Dark Moon piece, floating above one of the suits of armor! All he had to do was grab it, find Mario, defeat King Boo and then get the [bleep] out of here!

Luigi let out a hearty laugh as he ran toward the Dark Moon piece. But as he reached out to take it, a Possessor (surprise, surprise) materialized! With a casual hand motion, the Possessor sent a wave of energy slamming into Luigi, knocking him backward. As he sought to regain his wind, Luigi could only watch as the Possessor split themselves in two, each copy diving into a suit of armor.

_Possessors can clone themselves?! Just my luck…_

He was back on his feet as the possessed suits of armor charged at him, swinging at him with their maces. Recalling the suit of armor he'd faced in the ceremonial chamber, Luigi lured the two suits onto one of the carpets before sharply yanking it out from under their feet, sending them crashing to the floor. The Possessor copies flew out of the downed suits and then merged into a single Possessor, which formed a shield around their body. Then, the Possessor tried to ram Luigi, and when they tired themselves out, Luigi blasted them with the Strobulb, balanced himself on his heels and vacuumed away their first coat.

_All right. Two more to go._

Glaring at Luigi, the Possessor split themselves into more copies, which possessed the remaining suits of armor. He ended up taking a few slashes from swords and axes, as well as blows from clubs and maces, before getting all of the suits onto a single carpet and knocking them down with another sharp yank. Then, the Possessor merged and glanced Luigi several times before he braced himself against several boxes and sucked up their second coat. He swallowed back the pain and intently watched for his opponent's next move. This was the toughest Possessor he'd battled by far!

The Possessor let out a mirthless laugh before multiplying rapidly. Then, all of the copies flew out of the room, much to Luigi's surprise.

"What's left to possess?" he wondered aloud.

An ominous, metallic _CLANK_ provided the answer.

"What in the Inferno…?"

There was another _CLANK_, and another, and another, and another, a large shadow beginning to pass over Luigi. And when he glanced up and saw the Possessor's ultimate host, he didn't know if he was going to live much longer.

"God protect me," he whispered, crossing himself.

A giant, possessed suit of armor towered over Luigi, its visor glowing orange. Bringing a wicked-looking sword to bear, the giant armor sliced through the walls as easily as if they were cheese. Luigi dodged the falling debris, cursing loudly as two giant, armor clad feet stepped inside the room, one of them missing him by a hair and the shockwave briefly sending him off his feet. This—knightmare—was twelve times more menacing than the Mountain from _Game of Thrones_!

"Okay—okay—I can do this," he whispered to himself.

And then, the knightmare stomped after him, trying to reduce him to paste with those giant feet. Simultaneously, it stabbed and sliced at him with that massive, floor-piercing sword as debris continued to rain earthward. Luigi soon realized that in order to force the tough Possessor out of _this_ host, he needed to get one foot onto one carpet, and then get the remaining foot onto another. It was infinitesimally harder than it sounded.

While attempting to enact this battle plan, Luigi was nearly struck by debris, almost stomped on by giant feet and almost bisected by that huge sword. Smaller pieces of debris would glance off of him, and the knightmare managed to cut him with the sword, but the cuts weren't _too_ serious. After much maneuvering, Luigi got the knightmare's right foot onto the leftmost carpet. After God-knows-how many more suspenseful minutes, he tricked the knightmare's left foot onto the rightmost carpet.

In two quick, fluid motions, Luigi yanked the two carpets away, first knocking the knightmare off balance, and then sending it clattering uselessly to the floor. The Possessor copies tumbled out, dazed, landing on the floor in a pile. The man in green let out a cross between a laugh and a sob as the Possessor copies merged back into the tough Possessor for the final time.

A scream tore from Luigi's lungs as he stunned that Possessor in their tracks, activating a powerful Surge which sent them into the Poltergust once and for all. And then he braced himself for the recoil as the final Dark Moon piece launched itself out of the nozzle.

"Oh, my God," Luigi gasped out, over and over. "Oh, my God…"

When his body stopped shaking and his stomach stopped flopping, Luigi rose to his feet and walked over to the Dark Moon piece.

"Oh, yeah!" he cried, holding it up triumphantly. "I did it!"

Just as he pocketed the final Dark Moon piece, the Dual Scream rang.

"Yello?" he breathed.

"You've done it, my boy!" Gadd exclaimed as the Toad Assistants cheered in the background. "You've actually done it! The final Dark Moon piece!"

"It wasn't easy," said Luigi, "but I got it done."

"It's not gonna be easy, but I'll try to bring you out of that horrible illusion," said Gadd.

"Wait!" cried Luigi. "What about King Boo? What about my bro?!"

"Don't you want to send that Possessor into the Vault and drop off the Dark Moon piece before that big fight?"

Luigi thought it over. "Yeah."

"With the Dark Moon repaired, it'll be easier to subdue that fiend," reasoned Gadd. "Plus, I'll feel more comfortable with that Possessor in the Vault until the danger has passed."

"Okeydokey then," conceded Luigi. "I could use a stiff drink before facing him, anyway."

"All righty," said Gadd. "Come on, Pixelshifter! This one is crucial, baby! Don't fail me now!"

"_Ciao_."

Luigi hung up and wiped his sweaty brow before placing his hands on his hips, nodding in satisfaction.

The worst was over.

**…**

** "Oh, no you don't," the King muttered as he ensnared the cluster of pixels with a bolt of dark energy. "You're not getting off **_**that**_** easily…"**

**…**

"Now what?" asked Fred.

Gadd smiled brightly. "We fix the Dark Moon, restore the ghosts to their gentle selves and then track down King Boo to foil his plans and save Mario," he answered. "It should be easy, now that most of the Boos have been captured."

"I wanna be there when Luigi kicks that monster's [bleep]," said Ned.

"Seconded," said Ed.

"We all should be present," said Fred, "so that we can look him in the eye and tell him that he can no longer frighten us."

"You said it!" laughed Ted.

However, all of the levity was sucked from the Bunker, the temperature dropping at least ten degrees, when the last Dark Moon piece pixelated in, landing on the floor with a sharp _tinkle_.

There was a nasty silence.

_No—no_… thought Gadd. _God, please, no…_

"_Luigi!"_ everyone screamed in unison.

* * *

**Stay tuned!**


	37. Into the Illusion

When he felt something yank him backwards during his trip through cyberspace, he knew that something had gone drastically awry.

Luigi found himself dumped in a dark, blank void, standing on a floor covered in glowing purple spirals. Encroaching iciness was all around him, the very air pulsing with venomous, vile hate. He had no idea what was happening or where he was—but he knew he was anywhere BUT in the Bunker. Was he back in the dimension where he'd battled the tough-looking Possessor?

"Hello?" he called, his voice echoing.

He looked for a landmark, a fellow soul, anything. But there was only the emptiness, the cold, the hostility. He grabbed the Poltergust's nozzle firmly with both hands, seeing it as his only sense of security.

Then, he heard a noise—a cackle. It was faint at first, and it was coming from everywhere. His mouth went dry as the cackling grew louder—louder—louder. Tendrils of cold worked their way along his body. He now understood that he was in the clutches of someone who wanted him erased from the face of the Earth.

"Wh—who's there?" he demanded, tightening his grip on the Poltergust. "Show yourself!"

Cold sweat beaded on his skin as the laughter grew more acidic, sadistic, demented. Multitudes of windows inexplicably materialized around the black void, and through those windows, Luigi saw a _familiar_ silhouette casually flying by. And all the while, that cackling grew louder still, until it was as if he was in a twisted version of a binaural recording studio, the laughter seemingly _closing in_ on him. Almost like someone was laughing directly in his ear, but when he whirled around, he saw no one. He saw _nothing_.

The windows disappeared, re-immersing Luigi in blackness. He was disoriented, his stomach liquid.

"Please, God," he whimpered. "Please, God. Help me…"

He slowly reoriented himself, swallowing back the rising dread.

"Okay—all right—pull yourself together," he chided himself. "This is no time to panic. I need to focus. I need to find a way out of this place…"

_Luigi? _Dio_, he pulled you back into his dimension, didn't he?_

His_ dimension? Are you here, too?_

_ That S.O.B. It was a lure. He's gonna…_

_ We're gonna be okay. I'm right here. I'm getting you out of this if it's the last thing I ever do…_

_ I believe you, Luigi. I believe you…_

Luigi turned, and Mario's monochrome portrait was in front of him. Bruised, battered and panicked. The sight of him set Luigi's heart ablaze. When he found King Boo, he was gonna…

But King Boo would have to wait. Mario's safety was his current priority.

"Mario…" breathed Luigi, walking toward the painting. "It's okay now. I'm here. I'm here…"

He reached out for his imprisoned bro…

…only for Mario to disappear in a poof of smoke!

And in his place…

…was someone he hoped never to lay eyes on again.

**King Boo.**

**…**

"Are you f—ing serious?!" hissed Gadd. "Out of all the times to go on the fritz—now?!"

He was seated before his console, frantically typing code sequences into the keyboard. "Hang in there, Luigi! I'll get you out of this pickle…"

The monitor came to life, showing nothing but pink static and snow. And then that godforsaken cackle resonated from everywhere.

Gadd's blood turned to ice. "Mary, mother of God…"

"Professor," Fred said slowly as the realization also dawned on him. "I don't think the Pixelshifter is on the fritz."

"You mean to tell me—that King Boo—just grabbed him out of cyberspace?!" Gadd practically shrieked. "Was he there all along?!"

Quiet in the room.

"If he's able to fake a security image," said Zed, "then he can certainly jump into cyberspace whenever he pleases."

"He didn't just jump into cyberspace," gasped Ned. "I—I think he hijacked the Pixelshifter itself!"

More silence.

"This one—and the other Pixelators?" Ed asked in a small voice.

"Possibly," Ted fearfully replied.

Gadd facepalmed, letting out a groan. "Why didn't I spot it earlier?! He was always there! Lurking—waiting to strike!"

"Well—if that was the case," Fred spoke up, "then why didn't he take the Dark Moon piece?"

"Because—he doesn't want the Dark Moon anymore," said Gadd. "It was just a means to an end. He wants—Luigi."

Ted and Ed began to blubber. Zed recited a Hail Mary.

"So—Luigi—is stuck in a pocket dimension with someone who'd give anything to see him dead," said Fred, crossing himself. "God help him. And God help us."

**…**

**He'd thought about nothing else for over a decade. He'd dreamed of Luigi—studied him—smelled him—tasted him. But now that he was here and significantly rattled, primal excitement swept through the King. He was gonna draw this out for as long as he possibly could. Besides, he had all the time in the world now.**

** "Now, **_**what**_** do we have here?" he mockingly asked, leering at the man in green. "Why, if it isn't my **_**old pal**_** Luigi! Or is it Baby Luigi? I frankly can't tell the difference."**

** "WTF do you want from me?!" Luigi sharply demanded of him.**

** But King Boo just snickered, the profanity failing to intimidate him. "I was just getting to that part, handsome. But before we do that, I figured that we might do some—catching up. It's been a **_**long**_** time. But time hasn't tarnished your delectably good looks. I guess I should be grateful for that."**

** He leaned close to Luigi and inhaled his scent before licking the film of sweat off his face. Luigi reacted with extreme disgust.**

** "And while we're on the subject of reminiscing—remember when you trapped me in a f—ing painting for all eternity?" cooed King Boo. "Good times."**

** "Can't argue with you there," Luigi said smartly. "I was also hoping that you'd—I don't know—**_**stay in that painting**_**."**

** Ah—so the hatred was mutual. The King could feel the spite in Luigi's voice and see it in his posture, despite the fact that he was completely unnerved. That was good to know. By the time King Boo was done, that man in green would have more reasons to loathe him.**

** "Too bad for you," snapped the King, "because guess what—I GOT OUT! And now—I'm painting this town **_**red**_**!"**

** "You were responsible for this mess, weren't you?" asked Luigi.**

** "Dingdingding! We have a winner!" chortled King Boo. "Yes—**_**I**_** was the one who broke the Dark Moon. This power-enhancing jeweled crown of mine made it easy. And now that every ghost in Evershade Valley is under my control, the time has come for me to take my rightful place as supreme ruler of your world! You, that f—ing geezer scientist, your friends and everyone you've ever loved will look great hanging from the wall of my throne room!"**

** Laughing evilly, King Boo allowed his aforementioned bejeweled crown to glow before sending a powerful pulse of dark energy at the surrounding void, turning the blackness into a nightmarish morass of shapes and colors.**

** A nightmare to remember for his dear little Luigi.**

**…**

The situation was now a Code Red.

Luigi understood that King Boo would no longer be satisfied with just going after Mario. Targets were now on the backs of Professor Gadd, Peach, her Toad retainers, and perhaps his beloved Flower Princess, Daisy. His fans and old acquaintances from Brooklyn could be fair game, as well. And the maniacal Master of Illusions wouldn't stop until they all suffered for Luigi's supposed "crime"!

_He would not let that happen!_

"And who knows?" King Boo joyfully went on. "I just might let my new ghostly foot-soldiers [bleep] them. Every. Last. One. And then I'll let my loyal Boos [bleep] them before giving my allies a turn f—ing them. You're going to _watch_ as they all [bleep] your good friends over and over and over—until there's barely anything left of them. And after that, when they've become hollow and empty shells of their former selves and lost the will to fight, to live—that's when you'll know that the debt has been paid." He threw his head back and laughed.

That did it!

Luigi narrowed his eyes at King Boo and brandished the Poltergust 5000. "Not if I can help it!" he vowed.

"A little fight in you," said King Boo. "I like that. And I'm _really_ gonna enjoy this."

He soared into the air before slamming himself against the ground, creating a shockwave. Luigi cartwheeled aside and saw three growing shadows cast on the floor. He looked up, seeing three spiked balls drop onto the arena. Then he looked at King Boo, floating ominously toward him.

_What is it with King Boo and spiked balls?_

Luigi licked his lips. He found a way to defeat King Boo with his own weapons the first time around, and by God, he'd do it again! Maybe he could simply launch the spiked balls at him, like with the Koopa mech…

But when he tried suctioning a spiked ball onto the nozzle, King Boo slammed against the platform again, jarring Luigi's grip. The fiend had grown smarter in the interim! Luigi now had to focus his energy on evading the shockwaves, the larger spiked balls and even King Boo himself. If he could fight him without a giant mech, then his power had definitely increased!

However, King Boo had a weakness. The villains that the Mario Bros faced always did. Usually, three powerful stomps to the crown of the head would leave even the most imposing foe on the ground, moaning. When it came to Koopa, they'd always turn his own weapons and his overconfidence against him, exploiting all of his flaws until he lay in a heap on a certain bridge in his castle. But Koopa and the other villains weren't King Boo—at least they had morals, lines they wouldn't cross, and in Koopa's case, loved ones. And King Boo was a ghost, after all. Three stomps, three hundred stomps or three-thousand stomps wouldn't faze him. But Luigi knew _something_ would.

And eventually, he found that something.

King Boo acted just like any old Boo, shyly covering his face whenever Luigi looked at him directly or shone his flashlight at him. Inspiration soon struck, and when the King summoned more spiked balls, he looked for those growing shadows on the platform, using some tricky maneuvering to get his opponent beneath one of them. It took several tries and several painful blows from the King, but he eventually got the timing right.

_ WHUNK!_

A huge spiked ball landed atop King Boo, practically flattening him into a pancake. With a strident battle cry, Luigi moved in at once, pushing the Poltergust to the max and beginning to vacuum up the Master of Illusions.

The battle for Evershade Valley—and the world—had begun!

* * *

**Please R&R.**


	38. Battle for Evershade Valley

Luigi tasted his own blood. It trickled and dribbled into his mouth, sweet-tart, metallic and warmer than tears. However, he gave it no thought, clenching the nozzle of his trusty ghost vacuum tighter in his fists, feeling its ridges deep in the nerves of his fingers. His thumb hovered micrometers above the red button, pressing it as soon as the power meter filled, producing one resounding Surge after another. In his mind, he pictured Mario's round face, blue eyes twinkling with encouragement, a big smile on his lips, as the decisive final battle continued to rage between him and King Boo.

The Master of Illusions wasn't making it easy for Luigi, of course. He thrashed himself against the platform over and over in an effort to escape the Poltergust's suction. He continued to call forth those large, spiked balls, viciously yanking Luigi in their direction. The man in green leaped, rolled or leaned out of the way before the balls could land on top of him, but they continued to roll around the battlefield. As a result, he was cut and slashed from the balls' spikes, and there was no doubt in his mind that King Boo was using his magic to control them.

Still—Luigi continued to use those spiked balls to his advantage. Whenever King Boo broke free, Luigi would dodge or try to dodge his counterattacks, his athleticism and agility serving him well whenever the King tried to pounce on him. He'd be on the lookout for those spiked balls, and when he spotted their growing shadows on the platform, he'd trick King Boo into floating directly under one of them before shining his flashlight in his face. Once the spiked ball landed on the King, Luigi would turn the suction on him once more, summoning all of his strength to keep the vacuum—and himself—steady.

With a low growl, King Boo harshly jerked his body around, sending Luigi stumbling into a spiked ball and causing his hold on the nozzle to slip. But Luigi hardly felt the spikes tearing into him, or the impact of his body hitting the platform. Breathing hard, he rolled to his knees and got right back up, the nozzle back in firm, gloved hands.

"You just don't know when to quit, do you?!" spat King Boo.

"I can do this all day," Luigi retorted.

King Boo grinned like a shark. "Oh, we'll see," he cackled before flying into the air and crashing towards Luigi.

Luigi cartwheeled out of the way, and minutes later, he again subdued the Boo King, vacuuming away his remaining HP. He activated the Power Surge, feeling it thrum through his bloodstream as it dragged King Boo toward the nozzle.

_No. It can't be _that_ easy. There _must_ be a catch._

And he was right.

King Boo was mostly sucked in—when he pulled himself back out, glaring daggers at Luigi. That was when the ghost-hunter knew—he had a Hell of a fight on his hands.

"Impossible…" he gasped.

King Boo just cackled. "Try _this_ on for size, Luigi!" he exclaimed, slamming against the platform hard enough to tilt it.

Luigi's fingers scrabbled for purchase on the ground as he slid toward the edge of the platform. He saw a mansion hallway appear in front of him seconds before he was practically flung into it, crashing through the window and landing on his stomach. Behind him, King Boo laughed.

Back on his feet, Luigi did what any sensible person would—he _ran_.

He ran, and King Boo became a big, ghostly ball, rolling after him. It was as if Luigi had found himself on the set of _Raiders of the Lost Ark._

However, the pop-culture parallels would have to wait. As Luigi ran through the hallway, various drawers in front of him would spring open, pillars would fall—basically, his route would be obstructed in some way. He had to be on the lookout for these obstacles while trying not to get rolled over at the same time. Gold bars were scattered all over the hallway, but Luigi knew better—the King was trying to entice him. He _did_ snag some of those energy-replenishing hearts, however.

Lightning bolts crashed down around him, making him quicken his pace. These bolts left sand patches in their wake, patches which could slow him down if he ran into them. So, he ran around them and eventually took to just jumping over them. He saved a lot of precious time that way.

Luigi couldn't tell how long this madness lasted, but it felt like an eternity. He was thankful when he saw some springs up ahead, which helped him vault over larger obstacles like desks and nightstands. One such spring vaulted him out of another window and back into the pink and purple void, where another platform waited below him.

He managed to stick a perfect three-point landing like a seasoned action hero, drawing himself up and turning back around to face King Boo. Below him, all but one of the platform's squares glowed ominously, and he made a dive for the non-glowing square just as more lightning sizzled down around him. King Boo attacked in this fashion twice more before summoning patches of sand, ice and spikes in an endeavor to trip Luigi up.

And then it all began again. And again. And again. And again—

**…**

"This is bad," said Ned. "This is very, very bad."

The Bunker had been thrown into chaos since King Boo dragged Luigi back into that dimension. Fred, Zed, Ned, Ted, Ed and Gadd had repeatedly tried to call Luigi on their cell phones, only for pink electric bolts to shoot out of their devices, nearly electrocuting them. Next, they'd tried sending him text messages, only for those texts to come out as scrambled messes. And when Gadd attempted to get in touch with Luigi with the Dual Scream, it nearly made his console short out.

"He's too deep in the portal for us to reach him," said Gadd, "and even if we tried retrieving him, then King Boo will drag him right back—and possibly us along with him." His face turned scarlet, and he cursed, punching a nearby wall. "How could I do this—how could I be so _stupid_? None of this would've happened if I hadn't been distracted and sold King Boo's painting!"

"Professor…" Zed started to say.

"I think my mind's starting to go," Gadd went on, "and a man who's like a son to me is in danger because of it!"

"I have faith in Luigi," said Fred, trying to stay optimistic. "He'll fight his way out. He _has_ to."

Gadd considered this. "Yeah—maybe he will," he mused, allowing himself to hope.

Ominous cackling filled the room.

"Don't worry," King Boo's voice sneered. "He'll be _just_ fine. I'm taking _good_ care of him. And maybe when I'm done _taking care_ of him, I'll _take care_ of you, too!" Giggling. "Ah—_Professor_ Elvin Gadd. You haven't aged a _bit_. How've you been?"

"Just swell, until _you_ showed up," Gadd replied, standing protectively in front of his Toad Assistants.

"Relax—if I wanted your five employees back in my clutches, then I would've grabbed them already. My main focus right now is Luigi—and _you_."

"What kind of depraved soul threatens a senior citizen?" snapped Gadd.

"The kind with a score to settle, _Professor_. And I can see how worried you are for your _protégé._ Tell you what—I'll hang your portrait next to his, so you can be together forever. How does _that_ sound?"

"Not a chance," growled the Professor.

"My, my—you have a pretty fiery spirit for an old geezer. I'm gonna have lots of _fun_ with you, with Luigi, and with anyone who's ever _associated_ with him!" More cackling.

"Luigi will have you in the Poltergust 5000 before he lets that happen!" vowed Fred.

"_Will_ he?"

"Yes, he will!" Gadd led the charge, "and after he defeats you, I'm gonna lock you up in the most escape-proof vault known to humankind!"

"Yeah, well—good luck with that. But think about _this_—you may hear my voice, but I'm not actually here. I could be _anywhere_. In another dimension, having my fun with Luigi, for instance. And I escaped from my vile prison close to _two years_ ago. What do you think I've been up to since then; where do you think I've been? _You_ fill in the blanks."

Gadd and the Toad Assistants sported revolted looks.

"This—this pains me, really. Luigi may have personally humiliated me all those years ago, but for all of his faults, he doesn't deserve to die in such a strange, hostile place. But sometimes, before ushering in the _new_, the _old_ must be put to rest." Giggling. "See ya round."

Another round of cackling, and then—silence.

"Oh, my God," breathed Ed.

"He controls that dimension," said Gadd, "and he's holding Luigi smack-dab in the middle of it! It's just like he said—he wants the poor youngster to die alone, hurt and frightened in an alien place, knowing that he failed."

Quiet in the Bunker.

"But Fred's right," Gadd continued. "Luigi won't go down so easily, even if he's scared. He'll fight to survive and escape, and he'll fight to get his brother back. This much is certain."

Ted nodded. "For Luigi's sake and for Mario's sake—we have to believe," he said softly.

Gadd then stared at his monitor, which still showed that pink static.

_God—please help Luigi through this,_ he prayed. _Please…_

**…**

The outlook was pretty iffy for Luigi at the moment. He was battered, slashed and in an unbelievable amount of pain. His lungs ached from all of those times he had to flee through that obstacle course with King Boo in hot pursuit. These obstacle courses now had suits of armor which hacked at Luigi with their medieval weapons as he dashed past them. With each passing moment, King Boo's attacks grew more ferocious and lethal. He'd stop at nothing to see Luigi dead—just as Luigi would stop at nothing to see the Master of Illusions captured and Mario safe. This was no time to throw in the towel—he couldn't give King Boo what he wanted! So, he pushed aside each new wound and each new frightening surprise the King sprung on him, forcing himself back on his feet after his nemesis knocked him sprawling, even when he wanted to stay on the purple-spiraled ground, curled up in a ball in the hopes that it would all just go away. And each time King Boo forced himself out of the Poltergust, Luigi would simply ready himself for yet another grueling round.

Whenever he managed to blindside King Boo, Luigi dashed in with the vacuum, anchoring himself to the battlefield and holding on tight, regardless of how wildly his opponent thrashed against the suction. Surge, vacuum, breathe. Surge, vacuum breathe. The spiked balls were rolling around everywhere, and it was getting harder and harder for Luigi to evade them, but it didn't matter. Nothing King Boo threw at him mattered anymore.

Only Mario, and getting him home. Getting him out of this place. Even if _he_ didn't get out, as well. Even if he stayed here forever as a sadistic ruler's plaything.

All that mattered right now—was Mario.

Swords began budding from the pink and purple morass around the battlefield, and gears floating around in the void zoomed toward Luigi. King Boo all but weaponized the _air_ in this dimension, ripping open the wounds he'd previously given him as well as dealing out new ones, leaving burns and bruises and giving no quarter as he pummeled him. But Luigi simply refused to die by this psychopath's hand.

Here he was, and there he stood, in unfamiliar territory, fighting it out with someone who hated his guts. Luigi stared into King Boo's eyes and saw his death warrant neatly written in them. He also saw that the King was, as he'd said, completely off his rocker. This was someone who was now gunning for anyone who even _remotely_ interacted with Luigi—the Toads, Mario, Peach, _Daisy_. There could be Boos on their way to get them at this very moment! And what King Boo said he'd let his minions and allies do with them—he'd take special delight in doing that to Luigi's significant other while making him watch. Just the prospect of that happening, coupled with the image of Mario immobilized in that monochrome portrait, lit a fire in him. He tightened his grip on the Poltergust and gave the Master of Illusions a malevolent glare.

Then, he forced himself to calm down. Getting upset wouldn't help him, and King Boo would quickly take advantage of that. He did his best to evade the King's next round of attacks and pounced on him as soon as the tyrant dropped his guard. But just as he thought that this would finally be it, King Boo practically tore himself out of the vacuum.

"That's _it_!" roared King Boo. "I have had enough of you SHWEERRPP-SHLOOOORP-WHOOORPP-SHLEEEOOORG-ing with that f—ing vacuum!"

With a body slam, he tilted the platform, sending Luigi toppling into the most harrowing obstacle course yet. There was plenty of ice to slip on, innocuous pieces of furniture turned into death traps, icicles dropped down on him from above and rows upon rows of suits of armor attacked, more medieval weapons swishing past his head. But Luigi sprinted, slid, jumped and cartwheeled his way to safety, much to King Boo's detriment. Violet, wild, hate-filled eyes bore into the plumber, who kept in control by silently reciting his mantra.

_Do it for him. Do it for him. Do it for him. Do it…_

_ No._

_ Do it for __**them**_.

Apoplectic and frustrated, King Boo lost his head and started making countless mistakes. Luigi had no qualms over capitalizing on those mistakes, eventually tricking the King into taking a powerful hit from his own weapons. Hardened sapphire met crazed violet as Luigi let the Poltergust rip and gave it everything he had left.

_You almost have him. Push, Lil' Bro. Push, push, push…_

_Mario—you can see me…_

_ I can feel you, Luigi._

_ You're completely frozen in that portrait, unable to—to—_

_ There are things about our bond that King Boo failed to consider._

Mario's voice softly whispered from all around this madness, giving Luigi a sense of familiarity, stability and comfort. He wasn't fighting this battle alone.

_My body may be in this painting, but my mind roams free._ In the middle of nothingness, Mario's voice was so _calm_. _In my mind, I see you, feel you, hear you. You're hurt and stuck in a nightmarish pocket dimension—but you're still fighting. King Boo's giving you everything, but you're still fighting. I have faith in you, Luigi. I had faith in 2001, and I have faith now. And because of this, King Boo and his minions can't frighten me. Because in spite of your fears, you'll fight for me. You'll die for me. You'll come for me all the same. You can't give up now—_

Pain—there was so much pain—and yet Luigi planted his body and held fast to that nozzle, pulling it tightly in the opposite direction King Boo was trying to drag himself. He was on his last leg, and as such, he was resisting harder than ever. Thick sweat rolled down Luigi's face and seeped into his mouth, mixing with the blood. His arms trembled with the effort he was putting in, but he responded by doubling that effort, _tripling_, _QUADRUPLING…_

Overriding the signals in his body that were begging him to quit.

_Keep going, Luigi. Keep going. Keep going…_

Luigi licked his lips and gave King Boo a look that could freeze a reptilian overlord's b—s.

"You…"

Surge, breathe.

"…will_ never_…"

Surge, breathe.

"…hurt _anyone_…"

Surge, breathe.

"…ever…"

Surge, breathe.

"…**again**!"

Stridently, Luigi shouted out that last word as he gave his trusty vacuum one last Surge.

And that Surge was all it took.

"Nooo! That's not _possible_!" screamed King Boo as Luigi sent him into the confines of the Poltergust 5000.

The entire contraption gave a titanic shudder—and then King Boo's power-enhanced gem shot itself out of the nozzle. Luigi was propelled backward by the recoil, landing hard in a corner of the purple-spiraled battlefield.

He remained seated there for a bit, chest heaving, heart pounding, throbbing and shaking all over. A laugh bubbled at the back of his throat as his grip on the Poltergust finally slackened. The floodwaters of adrenaline gradually dissipated, allowing the laughter to burst freely to the surface. Luigi laughed and laughed and laughed, and he swore he could hear Mario laughing with him.

The nightmare was over.

He had won!

* * *

**We're approaching home stretch! Please R&R.**


	39. Under the Dark Moon

Slowly, Luigi got to his feet and limped over to the power-enhancing gem. The artifact that made such a huge mess looked so—small. Then again, appearances could be deceiving. In the appendages of King Boo, it had nearly caused mass destruction and hysteria on a universal scale. But the man in green and his Poltergust 5000 had put a stop to that, and that was all that mattered.

Luigi gingerly scooped up the gem, another laugh erupting from him. He'd f—ing _done_ it. He'd defeated King Boo not once, but _twice_. Not a lot of plumbers out there could put _that_ on their resume!

"Oh, yeah!" he joyfully sang out, shimmying and winding his hips in victory. "Yeah! I did it!"

Triumphantly, he held up the gem before tucking it into his pocket.

"I did it," he repeated in a quieter tone.

Even in a pocket dimension where no one could hear him scream, Luigi had held his own against King Boo and prevailed.

He closed his eyes and released a deep, shuddering sigh. When he opened them, the pink and purple void had dissipated, and he was back on the terrace of the Treacherous Mansion. And hanging on the wall across from him—was Mario.

"Big Bro!" shouted Luigi, rushing over to his immobilized, imprisoned sibling and pressing a hand against the canvas. "You're okay—you're okay—you're okay…"

Tenderly, he stroked the monochrome image, tears welling up in his eyes.

"You're okay."

**…**

Time had painstakingly chugged past with no updates and no change. Professor Gadd and his Toad Assistants sat around in a circle, the elderly scientist leading his employees in prayer and song, the six of them leaning on each other for strength. Wherever Luigi was, they hoped that they could send him as much love and encouragement as they could, for as Gadd witnessed firsthand twelve years ago, love was a potent weapon against fear.

A series of beeps broke through the shell of suspense.

Gadd leaped to his feet and punched a few buttons on his console. And when he saw the image of the man in green, his knees nearly buckled in relief.

"There he is!" he exclaimed. "On the terrace!"

The Toad Assistants ran over to join him.

"I'll be d—ned," breathed Fred. "He made it. He actually _made_ it!"

The Toad Assistants cheered, grabbing their employer for a big group hug.

"Looks like there's one thing left to do," said Gadd when they separated.

"That's the truth of it!" laughed Zed.

"Go on ahead, Professor," added Fred. "We'll get the Dark Moon pieces ready!"

"All righty, then," said Gadd, using the Pixelshifter to transport himself to the terrace.

Gadd landed softly on his feet at his destination and spotted Luigi standing several feet away, his back to the Professor. Currently, he had both palms pressed against Mario's portrait, murmuring something that Gadd couldn't hear. Quietly, the scientist walked over and stood next to his friend, taking in his battered and bloodied state. King Boo had _really_ put him through Hell this time!

"Hey, youngster," Gadd finally spoke up.

Wincing slightly, Luigi turned to face his mentor.

"Professor," he sniffled. "King Boo—he's—insane! He wanted to use the ghosts—as his army—take over the world! He threatened—my friends! I couldn't let him get his hands on them—I couldn't—I _wouldn't_!"

"You got him, though," said Gadd.

Luigi looked back at Mario's painting. "I heard his voice in that pocket dimension," he went on. "He told me—he wasn't afraid because I was there, and that he knew I'd win."

"And you did," smiled Gadd. "You saved Mario, you saved me, you saved my Toad Assistants, you saved Evershade Valley and you saved the world. If I had a hat, then I'd take it off to you. But—I'm not really a hat person."

Luigi chuckled.

"Speaking of Mario," said Gadd, "wanna get him out of that painting with your Dark-Light Device?"

"Of course," replied Luigi, his face lighting up.

He switched on the DLD and aimed it at Mario's portrait. Gradually, Mario became colorized as the beam drew him out of the frame's confines. His eyes widened in surprise, only to soften into a look of recognition and gratitude the moment he fell into Luigi's waiting arms.

"Luigi…" he sighed happily, his own arms rounding his baby bro's upper back and his head resting against his chest. "Ah, Luigi…"

"_Mario_!" exclaimed Luigi, a grateful sob tearing from him, and then another and another until he was sobbing uncontrollably.

The Super Mario Brothers knelt together on the terrace's floor, hugging as if the other was an illusion that would soon disappear. Luigi's head dropped to Mario's shoulder as he deepened the hug. In turn, Mario pulled Luigi closer to his body, soothing his tears with his touch.

"Luigi…" breathed Mario. "You've done it again. You saved my life. Way to go—you're number one!"

"I—did it?" Luigi choked out.

"Yes, you did," smiled Mario.

"I—I tried to call you," said Luigi. "Did you get my messages?"

"Bro, I'm sorry! My phone was on silent because I was exercising!" sighed Mario. "When I was finished, I saw your voicemails and texts, but before I could answer them, _he_ attacked me!" He took a deep breath. "I fought him, Luigi—fought him like I'd never fought before, until I couldn't fight anymore. I fought and I fought—and he completely overpowered me. He's the only villain who's ever done that."

"Hey, hey—you're safe now," Luigi said through his tears, kissing Mario on the cheek. "You're safe. That _figlio di p—a_ is _never_ gonna hurt you again. I swear it."

"I know, Luigi. I know…" And then Mario broke down crying, as well.

From a respectful distance, Gadd warmly looked on as the Bros reunited, both of them expelling all of the emotions they'd kept bottled up inside since this rigmarole began. In front of that golden altar, Mario and Luigi hugged and hugged and then hugged some more, crying until they were all cried out.

Mario was the first to regain his composure, whispering words of brotherly affection in Luigi's ear. Steadily, Luigi's sobs quieted, and they just knelt there, eyes closed and entwined in each other's arms, breathing in sync.

A few minutes later, the Toad Assistants pixelated onto the scene, Fred in front and Ed bringing up the rear. Fred carried two of the Dark Moon pieces, while the others held only one. Luigi heard them approaching and gave Mario another kiss on the cheek before reluctantly withdrawing from the embrace. Both brothers then rose to their feet.

Fred strode up to Luigi and held a Dark Moon piece out to him. "Here you go," he said perkily.

Luigi took the Dark Moon piece, giving Mario, and then Gadd, an unsure look. In response, they both nodded to him.

"Go ahead," said Gadd. "It's all right."

Luigi heaved another deep sigh, feeling a great weight depart from him. He joined the Toad Assistants in the middle of the terrace, where they stood in a small circle and held out the Dark Moon pieces. Then, the pieces began to glow brightly.

"Whoa…" he gasped.

"Keep watching," said Fred.

In unison, the six of them let go of the Dark Moon pieces, which levitated there for a moment before reassembling into a crescent shape. With a bright flash of light, the pieces rejoined, and the newly-repaired Dark Moon grew back to its original size. Another astonished sound left Luigi's lips as he watched the Dark Moon begin its ascent back into the starry sky, re-taking its rightful place watching over Evershade Valley. The artifact built up power before releasing a purple aura which briefly lit up the night.

Mario joined his baby bro in gazing wondrously at the scene, putting his arm around Luigi's shoulders.

Inside the Vault, the ghosts Luigi had captured were floating about when the purple aura passed over them. At once, their eyes regained their pupils, and they stared at each other in confusion, as if wondering how they got here. Then, they all laughed, dashing in for a group hug.

In the Secret Mine, a Greenie was roaming outside the chalet when the aura swept over them. Their eyes also regained their pupils, and they seemed to have no memory of how they got here. All they knew was that it was freezing, and that they needed to get someplace warm.

At the Haunted Towers, a Slammer was chomping on a Greenie when they, too, were exposed to the aura. A surprised look registered on the Slammer's face, and they spat out the dazed Greenie before giving them an apologetic hug.

The Dark Moon doused the valley's ghosts with that purple aura, glowing brilliantly like a star one final time before the aura faded.

"All right—I guess it's safe now," said Gadd, fishing out the remote control to the vault and pressing the button that would release the ghosts.

It wasn't long before the Evershade Valley ghosts joined the Bros, the Professor and the Toad Assistants on the terrace. Thanks to the Dark Moon, they were their friendly, if mischievous, selves once again. A Slammer swooped down and scooped up Mario for a piggyback ride. The Grouchy Possessor gave Fred and his colleagues a piggyback ride, as well. And a group of Greenies playfully tossed Gadd into the air. The other ghosts just swarmed about, laughing and playing with everyone.

Luigi, basking in the peace he helped restore, turned and saw Polterpup trotting up to him, ears and tail drooped and a chastened look in his eyes, expecting admonishment for the inconveniences he'd caused. But he was so d—n cute that Luigi decided to let bygones be bygones.

"Come here, doggie," Luigi said with a smile.

Overjoyed that all was forgiven, the spectral pooch jumped into Luigi's arms, assailing his face with happy licks.

Gadd observed this with a [bleep]-eating grin. "Aw—he likes you," he cooed.

Luigi scratched Polterpup behind the ears. "I simply _can't_ stay mad at him," he said.

Mario walked over and patted Luigi on the back. "That's my bro!" he gushed.

Luigi blushed. "Th—thanks, Mario."

Everyone watched as one of the Greenies set up a camera, Luigi pursing his lips in contemplation as his companions gathered together in the middle of the terrace.

"Ah, what the Hell," he grinned. "Let's do it!"

Luigi, Gadd and company leaped into the air, striking a pose. Then, the Greenie pressed the camera's shutter, capturing a moment in time.

**Please R&R.**


	40. Keep Your Mind Wide Open

"You know—I think I learned something tonight."

The Gloomy Manor's lab was once again open for business. Greenies and Slammers dutifully cleaned up the destruction they'd caused while under King Boo's influence, and some Sneakers and the Grouchy Possessor helped repair the machinery. Luigi sat in one of the swivel chairs, Mario holding his hand as he and Gadd tended to his wounds. The Toad Assistants had returned to their respective locations to oversee cleanup efforts there.

"What's that?" asked Gadd, in response to Luigi's comment.

"I used to think that all ghosts are out to frighten and hurt people," mused Luigi, "but that's not particularly true, is it?"

"No," replied Gadd. "Not at all."

"From now on," vowed Luigi, "I'm gonna keep my mind wide open when it comes to the paranormal. It isn't wise to judge a book by its cover, after all."

"True," said Mario.

"And—think about it," Luigi went on. "I faced my fears _twice_. This time, I was battling ghosts even before I found out that King Boo had grabbed Mario. I think that deep down, I wanted to prove myself as a reliable and capable person."

"You are," said Gadd. "I didn't just call you because you were the only person I knew with the proper experience. I called you because I knew I could depend on you to get the job done, despite your fears." He paused to let his words sink in before giving Luigi a wink. "Told ya."

Luigi settled back, his angular face beginning to sport a contemplative look.

"Professor," he said after a while, "what if I joined you here in Evershade Valley for a few months, maybe more? The place is starting to grow on me, and perhaps—I can help out with your research."

"Oh, Luigi—I'd love that!" Gadd said happily. "I could always use some extra hands. But you're not doing anything strenuous until the worst of your injuries have healed. Understood?"

"Understood," said Luigi. "Now that I've seen that not all ghosts are ill-tempered and hostile, I can learn not to fear them so much. And I guess—I've come to accept dealing with ghosts as part of who I am. After the mansion incident in 2001, I tried to distance myself from it, but now—wrangling ghosts could be a perfect side-job."

"I agree," said Gadd.

"Me, too," Mario chimed in.

Polterpup entered the lab and hopped onto Luigi's lap.

"Hey there, puppy," said Luigi as he rubbed the paranormal pooch's back.

He fished out another of those golden bones and fed it to Polterpup.

"Professor—has he lived here all his life?" he queried.

"I believe so," Gadd replied.

After Mario and Gadd finished dressing his wounds, Luigi cuddled with Polterpup.

"He's taken a liking to me, and I to him," he said softly. "My guess is that he just wants someone to play with besides ghosts."

"Really?" asked Gadd.

"And to be frank—I've always wanted a dog," Luigi went on, "preferably a puppy. Puppies are so adorable, don't you agree?"

Gadd and Mario exchanged a look. They knew _exactly_ what Luigi was suggesting.

"I'll get the adoption papers drawn up, shall I?" Gadd spoke up.

Luigi smiled. "Thank you, Professor," he said. "Thank you!"

Gadd then sat in a chair next to Luigi. "When the last Dark Moon piece came through that Pixelator and not you…" he began.

"Hey," said Luigi. "Everything worked out fine."

"You don't understand," said Gadd. "I thought it was _my_ fault. I had so much faith in the Pixelshifter, you see."

"I can tell," said Luigi.

"Before I realized that King Boo had f—ed with it, I feared that you were stuck somewhere in cyberspace because it had malfunctioned," Gadd went on. "Putting two and two together only made things worse, because I had no idea that he was capable of doing something like that. I mean—I thought I knew him, but I didn't really, did I?"

"None of us did," mused Mario.

"And then his voice began taunting me and the Toad Assistants about what he could be doing to you and what he planned to do to all of us." Gadd closed his eyes and swallowed. "During that madness, I just prayed with all my might. If King Boo had—if you'd—if _anything_ had happened to you, then it would've been my cross to bear. I don't need the death of someone who's become like a son to me on my conscience."

"Professor, people like me don't die so easily—wait, what?"

Gadd smiled. "That's right, Luigi—you're like the son I never had. Someone who I took under my wing and someone who I helped learn about the risks and joys of ghost-wrangling and paranormal research. Someone who I saw my younger self in—someone who I wanted to help work past their fears, like I eventually worked past mine."

Luigi's lips trembled. "You—you've become my mentor, you know," he said. "I may find you annoying at times, but I know that at the end of the day, your heart is in the right place."

Gadd blushed and looked at his feet.

"I don't think I'd be here if it weren't for you," Luigi said warmly, "and I just wanna take the time to say—thanks."

"It's been my privilege," Gadd said humbly.

Polterpup woofed happily and raced out of the lab, breaking the moment.

Hand-in-hand, Luigi, Gadd and Mario returned to the Bunker, where the man in green relinquished the power-enhancing gem to the Professor. Quickly, Gadd placed the gem in a secure area, resolving to do research on it at a later date. Then, Luigi emptied the Poltergust 5000 for the final time, sending King Boo into the Boo Canister, where he'd remain until Gadd finished constructing a special containment unit for him. After making sure that the Tough Possessor was no longer a threat to themselves or others, Gadd released them from the Vault and allowed them to return to the Treacherous Mansion.

With that taken care of, Gadd headed back to the Gloomy Manor and fixed the Mario Bros a hot meal.

"You know something, Luigi?" asked the Professor as they ate. "I think we're gonna have such wondrous adventures together!"

* * *

**Only two chapters left...**


	41. Unlikely Friends

_**One week later…**_

He eased the door open as quietly as he could before tiptoeing into the library, daring not to disturb the ghost residing within. Though the Poltergust was snugly on his back, the injuries from his brutal fight with King Boo hadn't completely healed—so he couldn't risk getting into another ghostly throw-down. He exhaled softly through a rounded mouth as he ventured further into the library, toward the grand piano where the Poltergeist sat. Their fingers moved gently across the ebony and ivory keys as they played an upbeat tune.

Abruptly, the Poltergeist stopped playing the piano and turned to face Luigi.

Luigi froze.

A long beat passed between them.

And then the Poltergeist smiled in greeting.

Luigi smiled back. "I hope I didn't disturb you," he said.

Reassuringly, the Poltergeist shook their head and scooted over on the bench, allowing the man in green to sit next to them.

After Luigi situated himself on the bench, he stretched his fingers over the keys and placed his feet on the pedals below.

And then he began to play, the Poltergeist playing along with him.

Last week, Luigi never thought he'd wind up making music with the Poltergeist—not when the latter was hurling library books at him. However, the Poltergeist didn't really know what they were doing at the moment; with the Dark Moon shattered, they'd been rendered mindless. But once the Dark Moon was back in the sky, the Poltergeist had been taken by Luigi's skill at the piano. The two of them would spend hours on end in the library, tickling the ivories together like they were doing now. Luigi could more than keep up with the big-brained ghost's frenetic pace, and he didn't even flinch when they made the keys _move_ in a wavelike motion. And he even moved the Poltergeist to _tears_ when he first played that dark, doubtful melody he'd dreamed up twelve years ago, the melody which segued into the up-tempo, hopeful melody which gave him the strength to go on. Making a ghost _cry_—now _that_ was a first!

Over time, Luigi taught the Poltergeist how to play those melodies, and in return, the Poltergeist taught him how to play that singular composition from their first encounter. From there, it snowballed—in a good way, of course—into their current activity. Luigi wished that more than one piano was in the library, so they could have piano duels. That actually sounded like a good idea. One of these days, he'd talk to Gadd about it.

But right now, he was having such a good time, playing off of the Poltergeist's energy as the Poltergeist played off of his, releasing the last of his angst and nervous energy from the incident one week ago. His fingers danced about the keys until they ached. And with one last note, Luigi stopped, flexing and shaking out his fingers as the Poltergeist gave a "mimimimimi…" of approval.

"Oh, there you are!" exclaimed Gadd, walking into the room with a manila folder tucked under his arm, Polterpup trotting at his heels.

"Hello, Professor," said Luigi, getting off the bench as the Poltergeist resumed playing the piano solo.

"This won't take long, youngster," said Gadd, placing the folder on a nearby desk and opening it.

Luigi's heart _thump-thumped_ in his chest. "Is that…?"

"Yes, it is," replied Gadd, removing the documents from the folder and neatly stacking them onto the desk.

Luigi walked over to the desk, sat down in front of the papers and began reading them thoroughly.

"Congratulations, Luigi," Gadd said heartily. "Polterpup is officially yours."

Luigi smiled broadly, reading over the documents a second time before signing the paperwork.

"I'll make a copy of that for your records," said Gadd once Luigi handed the paperwork back to him.

"I guess I'd better start dog-proofing my home, huh?" chuckled Luigi.

"Fear not—he's already housebroken," Gadd assured him.

Luigi knelt down in front of Polterpup. "Hey there, puppy," he said.

With a happy "Woof!", Polterpup pounced on Luigi, giving him happy doggie kisses as he laughed.

"He's just as happy as you, I believe," said Gadd.

The paranormal puppy soon calmed down and sprawled onto his back, allowing Luigi to belly-rub him to his heart's content. Once Polterpup was sated, he leaped up and nuzzled against Luigi's cheek.

"I'm so glad I met you," said Luigi.

"Arf!" Polterpup replied.

"Since he's a _ghost_ dog, I will be his veterinarian," said Gadd. "I'd recommend you bring him here once a month for a check-up, and I'll have to administer the requisite vaccinations."

Luigi frowned. "Vaccinations? I thought ghosts didn't have to worry about that," he said.

"It's just a precaution," said Gadd. "Now, ghost dogs are rather easy to care for, as they have less needs than regular dogs. And a really good thing is—they love baths! So make sure you give Polterpup lots of baths, lots of love, lots of affection and lots of cuddles. But don't be afraid to discipline him when necessary."

"Doesn't he have to be—you know…?" Luigi made a snipping motion with his fingers.

"Nah—you don't have to worry about that, either," said Gadd. He removed a book from one of the shelves and gave it to Luigi. "Here are some tips on how to care for a ghost puppy," he went on. "He seems to like those golden bones you found, so I'll arrange to have more of them delivered to your door on the first of every month. Although he's a ghost, make sure that he drinks plenty of water, and I'm in the process of making some special paranormal puppy chow for him. But like I said, he doesn't have to eat as much as regular dogs, and what he needs the most is regular grooming, cuddles, affection and love. Oh, and exercise—don't forget to take him for walks."

"Okeydokey," said Luigi as he hugged Polterpup.

"You should also get a scooper and keep your Dark-Light Device handy, because—well…"

"Understood."

"However, those instances will be few and far between."

"Thank God," said Luigi.

Polterpup gave Luigi's face another lick, and Luigi responded by burying his face into his new pet's "fur".

"I believe this is the start of something new," he murmured.

**…**

Shortly after Luigi officially adopted Polterpup, he'd fully recovered from his quest to repair the Dark Moon. Now, he could explore Evershade Valley's five locales on his own terms, albeit he wore the Poltergust as a precaution. He helped Fred tend to the gardens in the Haunted Towers and did regular maintenance on the machinery in the Old Clockworks. The ghosts in the latter location were quite taken by his skills as a mechanic and crowded around to watch him break a sweat as he worked. He'd spend some time at the top of the Clock Tower to stargaze alongside Zed and the Ancient Poltergeist.

In the Secret Mine, Luigi enjoyed playing ice hockey with the Greenies, with Slammers serving as goalies. He'd also ice-skate with the Sneakers and have exciting snowball fights with the Hiders. Every Sunday, he'd go fishing with Ned and a few ghosts, where he'd catch the fish and weigh them before tossing them back into the water. And every Friday, he'd go for a ride on that bomb-launching bobsled, screaming his lungs out as Ned and several ghosts laughed, whooped and shrieked behind him.

Generally, he stayed away from the Treacherous Mansion, as it held too many unpleasant memories. But once he worked up his courage, he'd see about Ted and Ed and immerse himself in the mansion's exhibits. He wouldn't stay there for long—just long enough for him to make peace with what happened and with what _could've_ happened.

But the other four locales were fair game for further exploration. From dancing the night away to records, and eventually CDs, in the Gloomy Manor's parlor to cooling off at the Haunted Towers' rooftop pool—from pillow fights with Hiders and jumping on the bed to playfully wrestling with Fuzzballs—from making snow angels with Greenies to Slammers and even Gobbers giving him piggyback rides, Luigi always found ways to bond with the ghosts of Evershade Valley. His phasmophobia had taken a hit back in 2001; here, it was (almost) completely decimated. The more time he spent with these ghosts, the more he figured out that even though they appeared spooky and scary on the outside, they could be quite soft and mushy on the inside—in the correct environment, that is.

One afternoon, the Three Sisters, Herlinda, Belinda and Lucinda, hosted a ghostly tea party in one of the Haunted Towers' gardens to demonstrate that they bore no ill will toward Luigi and Gadd. Fred, Zed, Ned, Ted, Ed, Mario and a slew of other ghosts were invited, as well, and the three hostesses happily entertained them with rounds of Bingo, charades, comedy routines and musical chairs, eventually setting up a dance floor indoors. In between all of this, however, the Three Sisters could barely take their eyes off of Luigi, and it got to the point that he had to gently but firmly tell them that he was already spoken for.

Eventually, Mario had to return to the MK and resume his duties as the kingdom's defender, but before his departure, he and Luigi shared a great big hug, the former promising his baby bro that he'd keep in touch.

Following Gadd's advice, Luigi spent as much time as he could with Polterpup during his exploration of the Valley, taking him for early morning walks, giving him warm and sudsy baths, playing fetch with him and always setting aside time to cuddle with him. He'd also bring him to the Gloomy Manor's lab for checkups, holding his paw and comforting him whenever he had to receive a vaccination. But Gadd had been right when he said that caring for Polterpup wouldn't be a hassle at all. And the paranormal pooch found Gadd's spectral puppy chow quite delicious.

In other news, Gadd did something special for Luigi with the gems the latter had collected—he built five statues of the man in green in various poses! The statue for the Gloomy Manor's gems depicted Luigi with a nervous expression. The one for the Haunted Towers' emeralds had him brandishing the Poltergust. The one for Old Clockworks' rubies had him with his hands on his hips and sporting a big smile. And the ones for the Secret Mine's sapphires and the Treacherous Mansion's diamonds showed him looking triumphant. Luigi thought that the first statue was unflattering, but he was very happy with the remaining four. Gadd decided to Pixelate the statues straight to Luigi's elegant abode, so that they'd be waiting for him upon his return.

All told, Luigi was living a good life in Evershade Valley with his unlikely friends. But—what was to be done about King Boo?

Well—

True to his word, Gadd, with help from his Toad Assistants, confined the Master of Illusions to a specially-constructed, escape-proof vault which was separate from his Boo brethren. The power-enhanced gem he'd used to shatter the Dark Moon remained sealed in a secure area. Surprisingly, King Boo was well-behaved, earning him phone and computer privileges and heavily supervised visits with the other Boos.

**So close, yet so far…**

However, Luigi wasn't about to take chances with his tormentor. He'd check on King Boo's vault daily, armed with his Poltergust to discourage the Master of Illusions from pulling a fast one on him, Professor Gadd and Polterpup by his side for emotional support. He'd look the King square in the eye. And in a low, steady voice, he'd vow, "You'll never mess with my bro again. _Never_."

**King Boo just smiled at him. **_**My day will come, **_**he thought. **_**All I have to do is wait…**_

* * *

**Please R&R. Up next is the epilogue.**


	42. Ghost Hunter in a Good Place

_**May 2014**_

With a happy sigh, Luigi stared at the photo of himself, Mario, Gadd, the Toad Assistants and the ghosts on the Treacherous Mansion's terrace before proudly hanging it on his wall.

That photo joined the little map from 2001—the map which set all of this into motion, the map which more or less helped shape Luigi into a better person.

In the wake of the Dark Moon adventure, things started looking up. Albeit the Year of Luigi had ended two months ago, Luigi would be grateful for his time in the spotlight, and the effects of those twelve wonderful months would remain in everything he did. Following a slight setback, he and Mario finally decreased the frequency of seeing their therapists from once a week to once every two weeks, celebrating this achievement by dining at their old favorite restaurant in Brooklyn. Their next goal was decreasing the frequency of their visits to once a month. Slow and steady wins the race, after all.

The latest Super Smash Brothers fighting tournament was four months away, and Luigi resolved to spend that time practicing. He couldn't wait to catch up with old friends and make new friends, telling them all about surviving a second encounter with the King of all Boos. And the cherry on top—he was allowed to use the Poltergust 5000 as his "true power", a.k.a. his Final Smash!

For the most part, the Mario Bros' lives were returning to some sense of normalcy. A certain reptilian princess-snatcher was up to his old tricks, and when all was said and done, most of the credit would go to Mario. But Luigi didn't mind anymore—he was just happy to fight at his big bro's side.

Now, however—it was time to get some rest.

Before taking his leave, Luigi promised Gadd that he'd visit Evershade Valley whenever possible. The elderly scientist was also in a good place, having worked past his guilt over putting his mentee and his Toad Assistants in a dangerous situation. Recently, he gave the five Toads a hefty pay raise and offered Luigi a well-paying job as his personal ghost-wrangler. Luigi said that he'd think about it, but something told him that he'd wind up saying "Yes".

But he'd dwell on that later.

Luigi slid off the Poltergust 5000 and gently set it next to its predecessor, the 3000 model which helped him endure his first proverbial trial by fire. Then, he turned on his TV, hopped onto his La-Z-Boy, and stretched himself out.

"Night-night," he muttered, leaning back his head and closing his eyes.

His eyes snapped open at the sound of happy barking.

Polterpup scampered into the living room, agilely hopping onto Luigi's lap and licking his cheek. Luigi giggled in response—the paranormal pup was loving his new home already.

The man in green smiled as Polterpup settled down, curling up against his chest, eyes drooping before they closed altogether.

"See you in the morning," Luigi murmured, his fingers sifting through Polterpup's fur, allowing his muscles to relax and his body to sink into the La-Z-Boy's soft leather.

His eyes closed, and his breathing settled into a slow, measured pace.

It was the best sleep he'd had in nearly thirteen years.

* * *

**FINE**

**Thank you all for reading :)**


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